


Family Ties

by LufwoodEmilius



Category: Raven Cycle - Maggie Stiefvater
Genre: M/M, partial sex
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2020-08-05
Updated: 2021-02-22
Packaged: 2021-03-06 07:28:41
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 10
Words: 27,618
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/25729708
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/LufwoodEmilius/pseuds/LufwoodEmilius
Summary: Adam and Ronan have been together for quite some time. Now, Adam think it's time for them to start a family. Yet not everything is perfect when they do start. On top of struggling with being new parents, it seems someone is investigating them.
Relationships: Ronan Lynch/Adam Parrish
Comments: 27
Kudos: 26





	1. Chapter 1

It was early April. The sun slowly rose over the Barns, the warm rays trickling through the white, cotton curtains. A cool wind blew through the window making the curtains billow. On the bed Adam and Ronan slept in a tangled mess. Ronan’s arms wrapped around Adam’s waist. Their legs tangled together, making their toes slightly touch. Adam rested his head lovingly on Ronan’s chest. 

As the sun continued to filter through the window, it kissed Ronan’s face, making him stir. Slowly, he raised a hand to his face and rubbed it tiredly. As always he hadn’t gotten much sleep. He sat up stiffly and untangled himself from Adam and looked lovingly down at his partner, who was now in the midst of waking up himself. As Adam’s eyes opened, he looked up at Ronan with a smile. 

“Morning Parrish,” Ronan said. 

“Morning,” he replied, sitting up, kissing Ronan gently. 

They pushed themselves out of bed and shuffled around the room to start their morning. Ronan, clad only in boxers, rubbed his stiff neck as he grabbed an old towel from a nearby chair and headed for the bathroom. Meanwhile, Adam, wearing a worn coca-cola shirt and boxers, headed for the kitchen to begin making coffee and breakfast. At first glance, one wouldn’t believe that the two were together. One would think they would clash. Yet, Adam and Ronan had been together for six years. Six amazing years! 

As Adam entered the kitchen, he heard the shower turn on. Ronan would be in there for a while, so Adam prepared the coffee in the machine and gathered the ingredients for breakfast. The sound of the kitchen door opened and hooves were heard trotting on the hardwood floor. Opal, Adam thought. 

“Morning Opal,” he said. 

“Parrish…” she whispered, bumping her head against his leg for attention. 

Adam chuckled and ruffled her hair. She leaned into his hand and smiled lovingly. He adored Opal and treated her like a daughter. He lifted her into his arms as he turned on the stove to begin breakfast, while Opal gently butted his head. He shook his head and kissed her cheek.

From a large drawer he pulled out a pan and slipped six pieces of bacon into it. Within minutes a satisfying sizzle began. Opal butted Adam’s head a bit harder this time before pointing to her open mouth. Adam frowned and slipped her back onto the floor. 

“Could have just asked for something to eat, jeez,” he said, pulling out two pieces of bread for her to nibble on. 

He watched her scamper to the table and eat happily. Adam rolled his eyes and returned to the stove. Soon he added eggs and tomatoes into the pan and bread into the toaster. Minutes later Ronan entered, wiping away the last of the water from his hair before tossing the towel onto one of the chairs. Adam knew there was no talking to Ronan until he had a cup of black coffee in his hand. 

It didn’t take long until Ronan had his coffee and was sitting at the table. Breakfast was soon served and Adam joined him, a smile on his face. Ronan raised an eyebrow as he lifted his mug to his lips. 

“What’s with the smile Parrish?” he asked. 

“Well...as you know, we’ve been together for six years now and things have become relatively stable for us. We both work, Opal’s adjusted, your dreams are under control, so...” Adam paused and stared at his finger tracing an invisible pattern on the table. 

“So?” Ronan insisted as he took another sip from his coffee. 

“I was hoping that maybe we could discuss the possibility of having a child,” Adam finished. 

Ronan choked on his coffee and coughed. He placed the mug on the table and took a deep breath. After a few minutes, Ronan looked up to Adam. A child? Was he serious? 

“Are you sure about this Adam? I mean, a child is a huge responsibility and…” he paused as he thought about what he wanted to say next. “Well...I’m not sure that we’d be the best parents…things are settled now, but somehow trouble always seems to follow us.” 

Adam’s shoulders slouched just a bit, his finger still tracing the table. “I know, things have always been a bit on edge for us Ronan…but…” Adam paused and sighed. “...nevermind.” He looked sadly into his coffee before taking a long drink. 

“Adam, come on, you can tell me.” Ronan reached for Adam and brushed his fingers. 

“It’s just that...I see everyone else we know start having families. Gansey and Blue, Henry, Declan and Henessy, I just want that for us, you know?” he explained. 

“I get it. It’s just that, I worry that we’d put our kid in possible danger,” Ronan replied. 

Adam sighed and stared blankly into his coffee mug. Ronan hated saying no to Adam. He knew that this was something that he had always wanted. Adam had brought up the issue a few years before about raising kids. But, at the time, he had just finished school, was starting a new job and paying off student loans. On top of that, Ronan’s life was still fragmented after the issues with the hunter Farooq-Lane. Plus, he had been busy trying to get the farm back up and running. The time was just not right. He stared at Adam’s face and puffed out his cheeks. He couldn’t believe he was going to say this. 

“Look, if it means this much to you, we’ll talk about it tonight, okay?” Ronan asked. 

Adam looked up from his mug, surprised. He smiled warmly. “Thank you Ronan. This means a lot to me.” 

“You can’t say I don’t do anything for you Parrish,” Ronan replied, leaning in for a gentle kiss. 

Adam beamed for the rest of breakfast, making Ronan’s heart swell. Seeing Adam happy was the most important thing to him. When they were finished with the meal, Ronan collected the dishes. He placed the scraps into a bowl and tossed it onto the table for Opal to finish and placed the dishes into the sink to be washed later. Meanwhile, Adam walked upstairs to shower and change for work. 

Adam wasn’t long, only twenty minutes. He hurried down the stairs wearing a pair of blue jeans, a tucked in dress shirt and a pair of converse running shoes. Ronan met him at the door just as Adam slipped on his badge and opened the door. 

“See you later Mr. Social Worker,” Ronan laughed. 

Adam nodded. “See you later.” He kissed Ronan again and grabbed his briefcase before heading to the car. 

~~

Ronan heard the wheels of the car crunch over the gravel driveway. Adam was home. He stood and opened the door just as Adam shuffled up the steps onto the porch. Ronan casually leaned on the doorframe. 

“Long day of work?” he asked. 

“You have no idea,” Adam replied with a yawn. He glanced at Ronan with a sly smile. “What no drink, househusband?” 

“Up yours, Parrish,” Ronan smirked as he entered the kitchen. 

Adam chuckled as he followed close behind. “So, you ready to talk about our baby?” he asked. 

Our baby, Ronan thought. Adam hadn’t wasted any time. Before Ronan could even finish dinner he was ready to talk about starting their family. He puffed out his cheeks.

“Jeez Parrish, you make it sound like we already have a child.” Ronan reached across the stove and turned on one of the burners to boil pasta. A sauce was already gently simmering on one of the front burners. 

“No time like the present,” Adam said as he pulled two large files from his briefcase. 

Ronan turned, casually leaning on the counter with his ankles crossed, and watched as one file was placed on the table and slid across to him. When it stopped, Ronan glanced down at it, almost bored. He raised his eyebrows. 

“What is that?” Ronan asked, indicating the file folder on the table. 

“This is everything we need to know about how we can become parents. Fostering, adoption, surrogacy…” Adam paused. “I’ve had this in my office for months.” 

Of course he had! Ronan groaned and placed his hands on his face, tilting it slightly. When Ronan looked to Adam again, he had a look of disappointment on his face. He blinked. 

“I messed up didn’t I?” Adam asked. 

“No, it’s not that Adam. It’s just…” Ronan took a seat and took Adam’s hands. “All of that took me a little off guard.” He smiled and picked up the file folder. “This is…” it was clear that Ronan was trying to find the right words, “great. It really is Adam. Thanks for doing all this work. Please, go ahead and tell me all of our options.” 

Adam still looked a little unsure. Ronan smiled genuinely and kissed the side of Adam’s head affectionately. That brought a small smile to Adam’s face. Ronan stood again and carried his file to the counter, while Adam opened his own. There was a pause as he collected his thoughts. 

“Right...so, as I said before, we have three options,” Adam began. 

“Four,” Ronan interrupted. 

It was Adam’s turn to raise an eyebrow in confusion. “Four?” 

“We could always dream ourselves a kid,” Ronan explained. 

Adam’s face went blank. “No,” he said flatly. “Not going to happen.” 

Ronan raised his hands defensively. “Alright, alright…Jeez.” He placed the open file onto the counter and turned back to the stove. “Keep going Parrish, I’m listening.” 

“Right…” Adam cleared his throat and glanced back at his notes. “Like I was saying, our three options are fostering, adoption and surrogacy. Fostering and adoption could work for us. With fostering, they could typically live with us from anywhere between one month to...nine years.” 

Ronan coughed and turned abruptly. “Nine years!” 

“Not ideal, I know, especially since the kid isn’t even ours. But...it would give us the chance to raise a child and gives the child a safe place to live,” Adam explained. 

“Parrish, you’re a Social Worker, what are some of the cons of fostering a kid?” Ronan asked. 

“Foster kids are like any other child. They come with growing pains just like anyone else. And where they do struggle is often due to their family trauma. They aren’t, in any way, worse than other kids,” Adam explained. “It would be rewarding for us to do it, if we do decide to go for fostering.” 

Ronan nodded. “I see…What are our other options?” he asked. 

Adam flipped through several pages. “Adoption, in itself, is rewarding but complicated. We have to decide whether we want to adopt nationally or internationally. Do we want to adopt a child from the foster system? Do we want to Infant adopt? Independent adoption? Then we have to discuss whether we want an open or closed adoption.” 

“What does that even mean?” Ronan asked. 

Adam pinched the bridge of his nose and shook his head. He loved Ronan, but sometimes his partner was just thick. 

“Fost adopt means that we would foster a child and then adopt them. Infant adoption, as the name suggests, means that we would be adopting a baby, typically people who want to adopt infants will do so t through an intermediary such as a lawyer, physician or other facilitator rather than through a licensed adoption agency. Independent adoption is when birth parents and adoptive parents find one another through a source other than an adoption agency,” Adam explained tiredly.

“What about this closed and open adoption thing?” Ronan asked. 

“A closed adoption is one where no identifying information about the birth family or the adoptive family is shared between the two,” Adam began. “Meanwhile, an open adoption allows for some form of association among the birth parents, adoptive parents and the child they adopted.” 

Ronan scrunched his face disdainfully and shook his head. “That all sounds way too complicated for my liking,” he admitted. 

Adam figured that Ronan wouldn’t want to adopt. He placed the file aside and glanced at the last file in his hand. “Right, so the last thing we could do for our family is to have a surrogate. And before you ask, surrogacy is when a woman carries and delivers a baby for an intended parent or couple,” he explained. “In our circumstances we would be doing a traditional surrogacy where we take sperm from the intended father, one of us, and fertilize the egg of our surrogate mother.” 

By now Ronan had paused in dinner preparations, intrigued by the idea of surrogacy. He crossed his arms and nodded thoughtfully. “Hmm...well, I do like the idea of either Fostering or Surrogacy. Let me think things over Adam, and I’ll get back to you by the end of the week, okay?” He smiled. 

Adam nodded. That was more than fair. Starting a family was a big decision with more discussion needed. Adam was just thrilled that Ronan had taken the time to listen to his proposal. He smiled. 

Ronan kissed the side of Adam’s head before turning back to the stove where he poured the pasta noodles into a strainer. He served the two of them and poured them each a glass of wine. With a smile, he raised his glass. 

“To our family,” he said. 

Adam raised his own glass. “To our family,” he repeated, gently tapping his glass against Ronan’s.


	2. Chapter 2

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Author Note: I am so sorry that this chapter came out so late. I've been doing a Big Bang PLUS my laptop recently crashed. I will be trying to get the chapters to you as soon as possible.

As promised, Ronan had spent the next week looking over the detailed notes that Adam had left him about their future family. Even though Adam had done all the work, Ronan still felt that it was too overwhelming for him and would occasionally curse his partner under his breath. Still, he had done it, and, by the end of the week, he had come to a decision. 

Friday evening finally came and, like clockwork, Ronan heard the familiar sound of the car rolling up the gravel driveway. As always, he walked to the door and opened it for Adam, who shuffled across the porch tiredly. Ronan smiled and kissed Adam lovingly. Adam grunted and tossed his briefcase on the floor. 

“Long day, huh?” Ronan asked, playfully. 

Adam grunted again and shuffled into the kitchen, Ronan following close behind with a smile. 

“I have some good news though that may make the day better,” Ronan said. 

“Is it a glass of wine?” Adam asked. 

“Shit, that was my second bit of news. Ruined the surprise,” Ronan laughed and placed a glass on the table for Adam. He sat across from him with a smile. “Made a decision today, about us starting a family.” 

Adam’s face brightened as he leaned forward, forgetting the glass of wine beside him. “And?” 

“Well, I think it would be kind of exciting to have our own kid. So...I have decided that we should go the surrogacy route.” 

Adam’s heart fluttered, a smile spread across his face. “Ronan, I…” There were no words to express how happy he was. He felt tears of happiness spring to his eyes. “I don’t know what to say,” he blubbered, wiping the tears away with his napkin. 

Ronan shrugged. “Look, I’m just happy that you’re happy Parrish. I know that this means a lot to you.”   
“It does Ronan, thank you,” Adam said and kissed his partner gently. 

“Always,” Ronan whispered. 

~~

Over the course of the month, Adam and Ronan scoured the internet for Surrogacy Agencies. The downfall with living in Henrietta was that even though there were no laws explicitly banning them from starting a family through surrogacy, there were just a lot more hoops that they needed to jump through in order to do so. If they wanted to have an easy time finding a surrogate mother and starting their family, they would have to go out of state. The closest state that would allow them to legally adopt their child after the delivery was New Hampshire, which was a twelve hour drive. It would be a long trip, but it would be worth it. 

“Hey Parrish, what about the New Hampshire Surrogacy and Fertility Clinic?” Ronan called from the bedroom. 

Adam shuffled into the bedroom in nothing but boxers. He collapsed onto the bed next to Ronan. “Can you give me a bit more information?” he asked.

“Well, according to the website they’ve been around for the last...twenty years,” Ronan explained. Adam nodded his head, obviously impressed by the clinic's long history. “They’ve also been working closely with the LGBTQ+ community to help members become parents.” 

That was definitely a point in their favor. Having a clinic support them with starting their family was important. Adam smiled and rested his head on Ronan’s lap. 

“What else?” Adam asked. 

Ronan cleared his throat as he scrolled through the website. ““The Staff at the New Hampshire Surrogacy and Fertility Clinic are dedicated to giving you the best experience possible.Our goal is to meet your needs with sensitivity and compassion,”” Ronan quoted. 

Adam adjusted the laptop to face him. “Hmmmm...their mission is to help patients fulfill their dreams of a healthy family,” he read aloud. “I like this place. What do you think?” While keeping his head on Ronan’s lap, Adam looked sweetly up at him. 

“Whatever you want Adam,” Ronan replied with a smile, kissing the top of Adam’s head. 

“I’ll call them now!” Adam said enthusiastically. He pushed himself off the bed and grabbed his cellphone from the nightstand. 

Ronan watched adoringly as Adam dialled the number. He laid back and placed his hands behind his head. He couldn’t believe that this was all happening so soon. Still, it didn’t matter. Like he said before, whatever made Adam happy. 

~~

It was mid-May and finally the day to drive to their appointment had arrived. It couldn’t have come any sooner. Adam sat nervously in the passengers seat while Ronan loaded the last of the bags in the car. Opal sat silently in the back seat, staring curiously out the window. 

Minutes later, Ronan joined them in the car. “Alright, let’s hit the road.” 

The car engine roared to life, making the car purr. Ronan glanced at Adam and took his hand, squeezing it reassuringly. He gently rested his head against Adam’s momentarily. 

“Everything will be alright, we can do this, and by this time tomorrow, we’ll be talking about surrogate mother’s and making plans about our future,” he whispered. 

Adam took a deep breath to calm his nerves. “You’re absolutely right.” 

“Course I am. Someone needs to be the brains of this relationship Parrish,” Ronan joked as he drove down the driveway. 

“Shut up,” Adam smirked. 

There was silence in the car for several minutes before Adam cleared his throat. “Now, before I forget,” Adam began, tapping his fingers nervously together. 

“Yeah, what is it?” Ronan asked, turning onto the street towards the freeway. 

“Before we pick a surrogate, we need to decide who’s going to be the sperm donor,” Adam said. 

Ronan coughed. “Jesus Shit, Mary Fuck, Parrish!” he cried. 

“What? You think that the baby was going to magically happen?” he asked. 

Ronan’s face went red. “No! It’s just that,” he was now flustered and wasn’t sure how to respond to Adam’s comment. He puffed out his cheeks. “Your comment totally caught me off guard Parrish.” 

“My bad Ronan, I apologize,” Adam replied. 

“Thank you for that apology,” Ronan said. 

“Still, we need to discuss who’s going to be the donor,” Adam said. 

“I’m going to make this easy for all of us,” Ronan replied as he got onto the freeway. “It sure as hell is not going to be me. And here’s why. First of all, the dreamer gene is genetic, we don’t need two dreamers in our house. Second, this was your idea Parrish, so, congratulations, you’re going to be our kids biological father. And before you say anything, whatever you say, you aren’t going to change my mind.” 

“I understand that Ronan, but don’t sell yourself short,” Adam explained. “I think you would make a great father.” 

“A great father, yes, but not a biological father.” Ronan scowled and turned on the radio. “End of discussion.” 

Adam sighed,sometimes Ronan was just so stubborn. Still, he had made a couple of good points. Maybe, it was all for the best and he shouldn’t argue with Ronan. He sat back and gently wrapped his arms around his chest , as he looked out the window. 

The hours passed slowly and, for the most part, it was a quiet ride. The scenery changed as they drove through the different states up to New Hampshire. Finally, they made it to the small motel they had booked located just outside of Loudon, New Hampshire. 

The three of them piled out of the car and shuffled to reception where they checked in. Their appointment wasn’t until the next morning, so they decided to drop their belongings in the room and go for a walk. Ronan took Adam’s hand, allowing Adam to rest his head on Ronan’s shoulder. Meanwhile, Opal ran ahead down the dirt road. Watching Opal run ahead, Ronan and Adam walked silently behind enjoying the peaceful evening before the chaotic journey of starting a family. 

~~

The next morning, Adam and Ronan woke for an early breakfast of simple peanut butter sandwiches. They quickly washed and changed before walking to the door. 

Ronan turned to Opal. “You behave,” he instructed, raising a single finger. 

“Yes Krah,” she replied and took a seat on the bed. 

Adam shook his head and turned on the television for her. “See you later.” He smiled and left the room with Ronan. 

Ronan and Adam slipped into the car and headed for the Clinic. The drive wasn’t long, only twenty minutes.After finding parking, they silently walked in, their fingers brushing. A receptionist looked up and smiled. 

“Hello and welcome to the New Hampshire Surrogacy and Fertility Clinic, how may I help you today?” she asked. 

“Hello, my name is Adam Parrish, this is my partner Ronan Lynch, we have an appointment today to discuss starting a family with a surrogate,” he replied. 

“Of course, one moment please.” She returned her gaze to the computer screen, her fingers tapping furiously on the keyboard. There was silence for several minutes before she looked up again. “Yes, your appointment is in ten minutes. Please take a seat and Doctor Gomez will be right with you.” She motioned to the seats across from them. 

Adam nodded and led Ronan to the chairs. They took a seat and waited silently. Adam settled himself and pulled out his phone to check his work emails. Meanwhile, Ronan looked anxiously around the room, tapping his knee impatiently. The room was filled with the same cushioned chairs that they sat on and, except for two other chairs occupied by another couple, the reception area was empty. On the walls hung pictures of happy couples. Some of the couples were holding babies, while in other pictures women held their pregnant bellies. In the center of the room was a small coffee table with magazines sprawled across its surface. His eyes finally landed on a small clock on the far wall. He stared at it intensely. The hands on the clock ticking loudly in his ears. He gripped his pant leg and gritted his teeth. Why wouldn’t it stop ticking? Suddenly, a hand rested on his making him jump. He turned to face Adam. 

“It’s time for us to talk with the doctor,” Adam said. 

Ronan nodded and released his hand from his pants. He slowly got to his feet. The receptionist was now on her feet and motioned for them to follow. They walked down the halls in silence. Ronan glanced at Adam, who had a goofy smile on his face. Good to know someone was happy. He puffed out his cheeks and looked casually around the hall. It was similar to the reception room. Similar pictures of happy couples stared at him; he had to admit that they were creepy. 

They were led to a small office. The room had been painted a simple light green. A mahogany desk sat at one end of the room, with a leather chair on one side and the same cushioned seats on the other. Framed pictures of medical degrees hung on the wall. A sturdy, wooden bookshelf sat behind the desk, filled with books and plants. Beneath them was a plain, red carpet. 

“The doctor should be here very soon. While you wait, could you start filling out this form,” she instructed and handed them a clipboard with a single-sided form to fill out. 

“Thank you,” Adam replied and kindly took the clipboard from her. 

He looked down at the form. It was simple enough the Clinic just needed to know a bit more information about them. He worked in silence as he filled out both their names, address, date of birth and, mostly, filled in the medical history portion: excluding the dreamer and magician details. When he was done, he placed the clipboard onto the desk and folded his hands neatly in his lap. 

As the minutes slowly passed, Adam was beginning to get nervous. Where was the doctor? Why was it taking so long? He could feel his palms begin to sweat. His foot began to unconsciously tap. The door to the office finally opened a few minutes later. The doctor, a woman in her early thirties, stepped through and smiled. 

“I am so sorry I’m late, just finished a meeting with a family trying to get pregnant. They had a lot more questions than I had anticipated,” she said. “I’m Doctor Julia Gomez, you must be Adam and Ronan, wonderful to meet you.” She offered her hand. 

“Nice to meet you too Doctor Gomez,” Adam replied and took her hand. 

Ronan did the same without responding. Doctor Gomez took a seat across from them and picked up the clipboard from the desk. In silence, she quickly glanced over the file. 

“This is perfect, we’ll put this into our medical files.” She placed it aside and folded her hands neatly on the desk. “So, tell me, what brings you to the Clinic?” she asked. 

“Well, we want to start a family,” Adam explained. “I’ve done the needed research and we were hoping to do a Traditional Surrogacy. We were hoping that by coming here you could match us up with an appropriate surrogate mother.” 

“Well, you have done your homework,” she laughed. “Most parents need to have each type of surrogacy explained to them.” 

“My partner has been slightly obsessed with this for years,” Ronan joked. 

Adam tapped Ronan’s shoulder. “Hey,” he said. 

“Just telling the truth,” Ronan replied, placing an arm on the back of his seat. 

“So, would you be willing to help us?” Adam asked nervously. 

“Of course, we’d be more than happy to help you start your family,” Doctor Gomez replied. “In fact, we have a long list of potential surrogate mothers that we can provide as long as you know who the father is going to be.” She smiled. 

Adam cleared his throat and bashfully raised his hand. “That uh...would be me.” 

“Excellent.” Doctor Gomez pulled a drawer open and handed them a large book. “This should have all the names of our current surrogates. Take it back with you and have a look through. Get back to use when you’re ready.” 

Adam took the book politely from her and looked at Ronan. Ronan just smiled and wrapped a loving arm around Adam’s shoulders. Adam couldn’t believe that this was happening. He felt his heart flutter as he looked down at the package in his hands, he was at a loss for words. 

“Thanks doc,” Ronan said and offered his hand. 

“Of course, I’m so happy for you.” The doctor warmly took Ronan’s hand. 

The three of them got to their feet. Adam and Ronan were escorted to the office door. 

“Our receptionist will help you make another appointment to come in for the next step in your family journey,” Doctor Gomez explained. 

Adam and Ronan nodded before making their way back down the hall and into an empty reception room. They returned to the receptionist. Adam cleared his throat, and the receptionist looked up casually from her computer and smiled. 

“We were told to make another appointment with you to come back with our decision,” Adam said. 

“Of course, one minute please,” she replied. 

Once again her fingers flew over the keyboards, her eyes scanning the calendar. She pursed her lips, the occasional “hmm” protruding from her. 

“We have an appointment two days from now, does that work?” she asked. 

“Does it Ronan?” Adam asked. 

“Whatever works, to be honest,” Ronan replied. 

“Alright, then I will book you for Monday.” Again there was silence as she booked them in. When she was done, the receptionist grabbed a card from a drawer and wrote down their appointment. “Here you go, see you both then.” 

“Thank you.” Adam took Ronan’s hand. 

The two silently walked out of the Clinic and paused. Adam looked lovingly at his partner. Ronan smiled, again, at Adam and kissed his hand gently.

“You happy?” Ronan asked. 

“Ecstatic,” Adam replied. 

“Good, as long as you’re happy, I’m happy.” Ronan kissed Adam’s head and led him back to the car.


	3. Chapter 3

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> So sorry for how long this chapter took. The editing took longer than anticipated because of the romance scene. The next chapter will, hopefully, be faster.

Finding the right surrogate was a lot more frustrating than they thought. It seemed that neither of them could actually agree on a surrogate mother for their future child. Ronan wanted to keep his Irish roots, so he pushed for any woman with Irish heritage. Anyone who was not Irish was not worth considering, in his opinion. Adam was a bit more open minded when it came to choosing a surrogate. Among those on the list, Adam was leaning towards someone of South American decent. There were several women on the list that were South American and sounded like the perfect fit for their family. 

“How about Bella Carvallo? Her family is from Buenos Aires, Argentina. She joined the Fertility Clinic about five years ago and has had two children through them,” Adam explained. 

Ronan, who was stretched out on the bed on his back, shook his head. “Nah, she doesn’t quite fit the bill, does she Opal?” he commented, looking at the tiny dream thing sitting on the other bed. 

Opal nodded and crossed her legs. “Yes, no bill,” she repeated. 

“And why’s that?” Adam asked, obviously frustrated. They had been at this nearly all day and their appointment was the next morning. 

“She ain’t Irish,” Ronan replied. 

“That’s a stupid reason Ronan!” Adam argued. 

Ronan rolled onto his stomach and quickly skimmed over the list. “How about, Siún O'Leary. Her family comes from Killarney, Ireland. She’s been with the Clinic for eight years and has had three children.” 

“I don’t know Ronan,” Adam said, staring blankly at the list of names. “I guess, I just imagined our kid having a rich history.” 

Adam rested his hands on his face and groaned as he flopped back onto the bed. They were never going to find a surrogate mother that they both agreed on. Ronan pushed himself up so now he was propped on his elbows. He looked to Adam. 

“The Irish do have a rich history. They are a strong and proud people with lots to offer. That’s why I’m pushing so hard.” He sighed and bowed his head. 

Adam lowered his fingers and looked to Ronan. When Ronan put it that way, it made perfect sense that he wanted to have someone who was Irish. He placed a gentle hand on Ronan’s shoulder. 

“I mean, if it means so much to you, then I don’t mind having an Irish surrogate,” Adam said. 

Ronan smiled. “And, I guess, I was being a bit pig headed when it came to your choices.” 

Adam puffed out his cheeks and rolled onto his back, his arms flopping open. How would they be able to resolve this in a peaceful way? Adam rested his head on Ronan’s chest and sighed. Ronan placed a gentle hand on Adam’s back, tracing circles with his fingers. Beside them, Opal watched the television silently. 

“So, how do you want to proceed with this, Parrish?” Ronan asked. 

“With choosing a surrogate? I...don’t know.” Adam went silent for a moment, trying to find a solution to their problem. “Hmmm...well, we could just make a list of names that we want and we can draw one out of a hat?” 

It was a simple and childish plan, but it was the best plan that Adam could think of. Ronan shrugged in agreement and sat up. He took the list of names and promptly began to tear out the names that he wanted. Adam scowled. 

“I was thinking more along the lines of writing the names down on a piece of paper,” he huffed. 

“This is a lot more efficient,” Ronan replied. 

He placed the names on the bed and swiped Opal’s hat off her head, her blonde hair a tangled mess from not brushing it regularly. Ronan casually tossed his chosen names into the hat. Adam sighed and took the package of names, copying Ronan’s unusual method. A few minutes later he tossed his own names into the hat. He looked to Ronan and took his hand. 

“Okay, this way, the person is randomly chosen. Whoever is chosen we will not complain,” Adam said. 

Ronan pouted comically. “Complaining is my favourite pastime,” Ronan joked. 

Adam gave Ronan a killer look, warning him that it wasn’t funny. Ronan smirked and kissed Adam’s cheek. 

“Cool your jets Parrish, I was just grinding your gears,” he said with a sly grin. 

Adam rolled his eyes and slipped his hand into the hat. The small strips of paper rustled against his hand. His fingers brushed against a strip and wrapped around it eagerly before returning. He inhaled sharply and looked at Ronan. His heart pounded so loudly in his chest that he swore Ronan could hear it. This was it, this was their choice. Carefully, he unfurled the name as if it was some sacred treasure. 

“Serena Oliveria,” he read aloud. “That’s who’s going to be our surrogate.”

“Sounds exotic,” Ronan said, trying to hide his disappointment.

Adam looked at Ronan with a loving gaze. He could tell that Ronan was trying to put on a brave front. He rested a hand on Ronan’s cheek and pulled his head gently towards him, until their foreheads touched. 

“I know you’re disappointed Ronan. Thank you for being so understanding,” he whispered lovingly. 

Ronan remained silent for several minutes, his eyes closed. Ronan didn’t need to speak for Adam to understand his thanks. The two pulled back and Adam looked down at the name, thoughtfully. 

“I think I read about Serena before,” Adam replied. “If I remember correctly, she’s Brazilian. I think she moved here from São Paolo.” 

Ronan watched with a smile as Adam slipped onto his stomach, a childish grin on his face as his partner held the name carefully. Even though it wasn’t his choice, he was still happy that Adam was happy. 

“Now that the decision is made can we finally relax? Watch some television and unwind before our appointment tomorrow?” Ronan complained. 

“Alright, fine.” Adam smiled and slipped beside him, resting his head on Ronan’s shoulder. He was finally content with the choice that they had made. 

~~

The next morning Adam and Ronan woke and, again, dined on a breakfast of peanut butter sandwiches as they got themselves ready. Opal watched them silently from her bed, her legs swinging over its side. As they headed for the door, Ronan and Adam each ruffled her hair lovingly. 

“Okay brat, we’ll be back in an hour or so. Behave,” Ronan reminded her. 

“Yes krah,” she replied. 

The two slipped out of the hotel room and into the car. Above them, the sky was beginning to cloud over, threatening to rain. The car purred to life and, again, they made their way to the New Hampshire Surrogacy and Fertility Clinic. Upon their arrival, they were met by the same boring reception area. They approached the receptionist and Adam cleared his throat. 

“Adam Parrish and Ronan Lynch to see Doctor Gomez,” he said. 

“Of course, the doctor will be right with you,” she replied, with her usual smile. 

They took their seats and, once again, Adam was absorbed in his phone to catch up with work. This left Ronan to his own thoughts. He took a deep breath in and puffed out his cheeks. He couldn’t believe that they were actually going through with starting a family. That was something that he never thought for himself. What if he was no good at it? What if he screwed up the child? What would happen if the dreams got too much and the child got hurt because of them? So many things could go wrong. He began to tap his foot on the floor unconsciously. 

A few minutes later, a hand was placed on his leg making him jump. It was only Adam, behind him the receptionist waiting to take them to the doctor’s office. The two got to their feet and followed her down the same dull hallway and into the same dull office. As they entered the doctor was already sitting at her desk, reviewing anonymous notes on her laptop. It was only when they approached the desk that her gaze was steered away from her notes and towards them; she smiled. 

“Good morning Adam and Ronan, welcome back,” she said cheerfully. 

“Thank you,” Adam replied. 

“So, are you ready to take the next steps in your journey?” she asked. 

Adam nodded enthusiastically. Ronan couldn’t help but notice that he looked like a child at Christmas. Doctor Gomez chuckled, her eyes crinkling at the corners. 

“And who’s the lucky mother?” She asked. 

“We’ve picked Serena Oliveria,” Adam replied. 

“Oh, Serena, she’s a wonderful choice.” The doctor returned to her laptop briefly, her fingers flying over the keyboard. “The parents who have chosen her have been so happy with her.” 

She turned the laptop. On the screen was a young woman in her mid-twenties, with a smile that went on forever. Her skin was a beautiful, tawny colour with eyes the colour of deep chocolate. She had a petite nose and rose petal lips. Her brown hair fell to her shoulders in tight curls. She was certainly very pretty. 

“Wow,” Adam said. His mouth slightly ajar. 

“Forgotten about me already, Parrish?” Ronan chuckled. 

Adam blushed profusely and shook his head. “Oh, of course not Ronan. My apologies.” 

The doctor chuckled. “She is such a lovely person, you’ll be very happy,” the doctor explained, turning the laptop back. 

There was a moment of silence as the doctor got to her feet and crossed the room. Adam and Ronan watched as she left the room, only to return a few minutes later with a small container with a blue top, a medical label neatly pressed on it. Doctor Gomez took a seat and slid the container across to Adam. 

“This is for collecting your sperm sample, Adam,” she explained. 

Adam blushed and could feel his ears burn. Beside him, Ronan chuckled softly and crossed his arms. With shaking hands, Adam took the container. 

“Th-thank you,” he replied. 

“There’s a room right down the hall, it’s the first door to your right. There’s an assortment of magazines and videos there for you,” she said. “There’s a button so you can ring for a nurse.” 

Adam nodded and shakily got to his feet. He and Ronan followed the doctor’s directions and made it to the small room. The room was decorated very plainly. There were a couple of chairs that occupied the room, a small rack of magazines was in between the two chairs, the new Playboy and Boner magazines tucked neatly inside. Beside the rack of magazines was a small table with a small basket filled with bottles of lube and a roll of paper towels. There was a table with a stack of porn videos, across the room there was a tv and a dvd machine. 

Adam glanced at Ronan and gulped. Ronan took a seat comfortably, his shoulders slouching, his legs slightly apart. He watched with a smile as Adam unbuckled his belt and removed his pants, now only wearing his shirt and boxers. He rubbed the back of his neck, awkwardly, and gulped. Adam had never actually had anyone, especially Ronan, watch him before. 

“This feels a bit…” Adam paused and cleared his throat. “Awkward, heh,” he laughed self-consciously. 

Ronan smiled reassuringly. “If it makes you feel any better I think you look hot,” he commented and winked. 

Adam blushed furiously as he took the container and sat next to Ronan.With his free hand, he began to gently stroke his cock through his boxers. Adam could feel Ronan’s blue, shark like eyes, watching him, making him blush even more. He felt himself twitch and begin to harden. But still, it wasn’t enough. Ronan watched Adam struggle for a bit before leaning over with a smile. 

“Need help?” he asked cheekily. 

“Yes,” Adam begged. 

Ronan slipped off his chair and rounded the back of Adam’s chair and bending to one knee. He placed his hands on his partner’s shoulders and gently rubbed as he kissed the top of Adam’s head. He slowly worked his way down to Adam’s neck, kissing lovingly. Adam tilted his head slightly sideways and closed his eyes, moaning softly. Soon, Ronan’s hands moved away from Adam’s shoulders and moved down his chest. 

“Ronan, this feels so nice,” Adam whispered. 

“Anything for you Adam,” he replied softly, nibbling on Adam’s neck. 

“I love you Ronan,” Adam said, feeling his cock getting firmer with every touch. 

“I love you too,” Ronan admitted. 

Ronan’s hands skillfully made their way down Adam’s body, until they were wrapped around his partner’s waist. He rested his chin on Adam’s shoulder and smiled sweetly. Adam turned his head and kissed him lovingly. 

“Ready for some fun?” Ronan asked. 

Adam rested his forehead against Ronan’s. “Always.” 

Without missing a beat, Ronan slipped his hands through the waistband of Adam’s boxers and curled his fingers around his cock. His fingers skillfully began to stroke Adam, while his lips returned to kissing his partner’s neck. Adam took a sharp breath and leaned into the affection. With every stroke Adam could feel himself getting firmer. 

It didn’t take long for Adam to be fully erect. Ronan smiled and nuzzled Adam’s neck, his fingers continuously playing with Adam.

“Ronan,” Adam whispered. 

“Mmmmm, yes?” He asked softly into Adam’s neck. 

“Ronan,” he gasped. “I don’t think I can last much longer.” 

As Adam reached the climax, he felt Ronan stroke him faster. There was a pause, a loud moan protruding from his lips as he came.. Something warm released from Adam’s cock, spilling into the container, some falling onto Ronan’s hand. Adam sat back and leaned his head back, continuously kissing Ronan gently. 

The two separated as Adam raised the container up, the white liquid settling along the bottom. He placed the container onto the table before grabbing one of the paper towels to clean up. The two glanced lovingly at each other, smiling. Adam wrapped his arms around Ronan’s waist, his chin resting on his partner’s chest. Ronan leaned down and kissed Adam again gently before resting his nose on Adam’s. 

“I love you Ronan,” Adam repeated affectionately. 

“I love you too, Parrish,” Ronan replied. 

“Thank you for taking this journey with me,” Adam said. 

“I can’t see my life going any other way or taking this adventure with anyone else,” Ronan whispered. 

Adam blushed and buried his face in Ronan’s chest, while his partner held Adam close. Finally, Adam picked up the container and twisted the top back on. On the opposite wall, facing the chairs, Adam noticed a small button. No doubt that was the button they needed to press to call the nurse. 

A few minutes later there was a light knock and the door opened. A nurse poked his head from around the corner. “Hey, you done?” he asked. 

“Yeah,” Adam replied, handing the container to the nurse. 

“Great!” The nurse reached out his hand, which was covered in a blue latex glove, and took the container from Adam. “The Clinic will get in touch with your surrogate and set up a meeting for you two. Then, from there, the doctor will use the sperm to impregnate her,” he explained. 

“Thank you,” Adam replied. 

The nurse nodded in return before disappearing down the hall. Adam couldn’t help but smile as he looked to Ronan, who smiled in return.

“Come on Parrish, how about I get you some lunch and then we can make our way home,” Ronan said, kissing the top of Adam’s head. 

“Sounds perfect,” Adam replied, taking Ronan’s hand in his. 

Silently, the two made their way out, excited that they were one step closer to starting their family.


	4. Chapter 4

After that, everything kind of blurred together. A week after their appointment they had gotten a call from the Clinic saying that their surrogate was ready to meet them. 

The meeting itself was set up in the middle of May, and Adam had absolutely fallen in love with Serena when they finally met. Like it had said in her profile she was from São Paolo, Brazil and had been working with the Clinic for several years. Like Adam, she had finished her Bachelor’s in Social Work at the University of São Paolo and moved to America to work with children. On top of being a surrogate for the Clinic, Serena also worked with children from immigrant families, particularly those from South America. 

Everything about her Adam loved. She seemed a perfect fit in every way. Ronan was soon starting to feel a little out of place being with them. Unlike Adam and Serena, who had finished their four years of high school, Ronan had never completed his four years at Aliongby Academy, which meant he had never had the opportunity to go to University. In fact, it was only quite recently that Ronan had gotten his General Education Diploma. Instead, his whole professional life was centered around the Barns. He was starting to feel a little bit like Adam’s hillbilly third wheel. 

“Isn’t Serena going to be a wonderful fit?” Adam asked one evening as he prepared dinner for him, Ronan and Opal.   
  


“Yeah, an absolute, fucking delight,” Ronan huffed, as he set the table.   
  


Adam paused in his work and turned to face Ronan, his arms casually crossed over his chest. “Ronan, what’s wrong?” He asked.   
  


“Nothing,” Ronan admitted. “I’m genuinely happy that you like Serena so much.”   
  


It was an obvious lie and Adam knew it. He had been with Ronan enough to read him like a book. Adam took a seat across from Ronan and leaned forwards.   
  


“Don’t lie to me Ronan, I know that something’s bothering you,” he said.   
  


Ronan was silent, his usual stoic expression on his face. “It’s nothing Adam, so just drop it.”   
  


“If it wasn’t nothing you wouldn’t be fucking trying to lie to my face,” Adam replied bluntly. “Now tell me the truth.”   
  


There was no getting around it. Adam was now staring daggers at Ronan. So, he could either tell Adam the truth or there would be consequences. He sighed and bowed his head, resting his hands on the back of his neck.   
  


“Fine.” He paused and sniffed. “It’s just that, I feel out of place when you’re always talking about Serena. She just seems so perfect for you. She’s educated, she smart, she’s beautiful. And I’m…” Ronan paused and sighed. “Just the hillbilly boyfriend from Henrietta.”   
  


Adam paused, with everything that was happening he hadn’t remembered to check in with Ronan. He reached out and placed a hand on Ronan’s arm.   
  


“I’m such a fool Ronan, I should have made sure you were alright.” Adam shuffled so that he was sitting next to Ronan. “I’m so sorry if I made you feel this upset my love. You’re my entire world and I wouldn’t want to do this with anyone else but you,” he whispered in Ronan’s ear.   
  


Adam smiled and kissed the side of Ronan’s head. Tonight was going to be all about Ronan, he promised himself. 

~~

From there Serena met with the doctor and by June they received word that she had conceived successfully. From there the months flew by. For the first two trimesters, Adam and Ronan made the twelve hour trip every two weeks for her bi-monthly check ups. They watched in amazement as their child grew inside Serena’s body, her belly increasing in size every time they saw her. At the five month mark, they were asked if they wanted to know the gender of their baby, but indicated that they didn’t want to know.   
  


The last three months were a blur. Between work piling up, setting up the nursery at the Barns and child classes, they felt like things were getting slightly out of hand. Finally, the delivery day had arrived. Serena’s due date was the beginning of March, and Ronan had driven them up to Loudon to book them into a motel when the call finally came.  
  


Fortunately, due to Ronan’s chronic insomnia, he answered. “Hello?” There was a pause as he rested a hand on Adam’s back and checked the time: 3:00 am. Adam stirred in his sleep but didn’t wake. “Right...we’ll be there straight away.” He placed his phone into his pocket before shaking Adam awake. “Parrish! Parrish!”   
  


Adam grunted and opened a single eye, glaring at Ronan. “What?” he moaned.   
  


“That was the hospital calling, Serena’s gone into labour and she’s waiting for us,” Ronan whispered as to not wake Opal.   
  


Adam shot up in bed, the blankets falling into his lap. “Oh god! Right!” He flung himself out of bed and grabbed his pants from the floor and shirt from one of the nearby chairs. “We have no time to lose.”   
  


Ronan followed suit and quickly changed. They didn’t even have time to brush their teeth or hair before rushing out the door and into the car. The hospital was a twenty-five minute drive from the motel. But, because of Ronan’s speed demon driving, they arrived at the hospital in just over ten. They hurried into the hospital and stopped breathlessly at the reception desk.   
  


“I’m Adam Parrish,” Adam said. “And this is my partner Ronan. We’re here for Serena Olivieria.”   
  


“Hold on one minute as we confirm which room she’s in,” came the reply.   
  


There was a minute of tense silence as Ronan and Adam waited. Adam’s heart pounded nervously in his chest. The minute felt like an eternity. Finally, the nurse looked up from his computer with a smile.   
  


“If you follow the pink and blue lines, they’ll lead you to the Maternity Ward, she’s in room 10. Congratulations,” he said.   
  


Adam and Ronan nodded and hurried through the maze like halls of the hospital. The hospital was quite in the early morning hours. Few doctors and nurses roamed the halls. Around them the quiet beeping of the hospital machines filled the air. Occasionally, they would hear a cough or a sneeze from inside one of the rooms they passed. But other than that, things were still.   
  


As they reached the maternity ward they heard the occasional scream or moan from a couple of the rooms. It seems they weren’t the only ones there. They were lead through the waiting room and into room 6. Across from them lay Serena, her hands clutching her stomach, as well as Doctor Gomez. The room was simple, with only Serena’s bed, her IV dangling from a wheeled pole and a single uncomfortable looking chair. Above, a simple LED light lit the room in a warm glow.  
  


A nurse smiled and got to her feet. “Glad you’re here; the contractions are about every five minutes.”   
  


Adam and Ronan blinked, clearly not understanding what she meant. 

  
“This means that she’s about 4 to 5 centimeters dilated. So, she’s about half-way to giving birth.”  
  


“Right, thank you nurse,” Adam replied.   
  


“Of course,” she said. “Her doctor will be here in just a bit. Until then I’m going to stay just to make sure that she’s comfortable.”   
  


“Thank you Nurse Cooper,” Serena said with a smile.   
  


Adam and Ronan approached the bed and pulled up seats. Adam took her hand and rubbed it gently. “Is there anything we can do?” he asked.   
  


Serena smiled. “The fact that you’re here is everything I need.” She squeezed his hand sweetly. Before too long, Serena took a sharp breath and squeezed Adam’s hand harder from another contraction.   
  


Adam wasn’t expecting that her grip would be so tight. He bit his lip to keep himself from crying out. Meanwhile, Ronan slouched in his chair silently, his hands folded casually over his chest. When the contraction subsided, Serena sighed with relief and rested her head on the pillow. She turned her gaze to Adam and Ronan, smiling sweetly.   
  


“So, have you given any thought to a name?” She asked.  
  


“It really depends on whether we have a boy or a girl,” Adam replied. “We already planned that no matter what the gender of our baby is, they would have the last name Lynch. That way Ronan has a connection to the baby.”   
  


Ronan glanced lovingly at Adam and took his hand. “In terms of first names, we were thinking of Niall for a boy. Named after my father,” he explained.   
  


Adam kissed Ronan’s hand and looked back to Selena. “And Persephone, for a girl,” he added.   
  


Selena raised an eyebrow. “Persephone?”   
  


“Yes, for an old friend who passed away,” Adam explained.   
  


Adam became distant and still as the name  _ Persephone _ passed his lips. He was such a hopeless case when he was a teenager. He worked three part-time jobs, attended school at Aliongby Academy and lived with his abusive parents. His life changed after two people came into his life. Ronan, who managed to fix the broken pieces. And Persephone, the only adult in his life who he trusted. She also taught him so much about how to control his own inner magic. There was no one quite like Persephone. He smiled fondly of his memories of her.   
  


Minutes later, Serena’s doctor stepped into the room and took a seat on a rolling stool. On his scrubs was the name Daniel Roberts.   
  


“Hello Serena, how are you feeling right now?” he asked with a smile.  
  


“Right now, I’m uncomfortable but not in a lot of pain,” she admitted. +  
  


He nodded and turned to Ronan and Adam. He smiled. “So, which of you is the father?” He asked.   
  


Ronan pointed a tired thumb in Adam’s direction and yawned. Adam smiled bashfully and offered his hand to the doctor, who took it warmly.   
  


“Adam Parrish sir,” he said.   
  


“Well, Mr. Parrish, everything seems to be going smoothly. I’ll check again in a little bit to see how far along she is. So, everyone just sit tight and wait patiently,” he explained.   
  


Adam nodded, while Ronan grunted and raised a thumb up in acknowledgement. Adam chuckled and shook his head. Waiting was not Ronan’s specialty. Asking Ronan to wait was like asking the Pope not to be Catholic. It was impossible. The doctor got to his feet and left to do his final rounds.   
  


It was another several hours before Serena was finally ready to deliver the baby. When the time had come, Ronan and Adam had jumped to their feet, standing at either side of Serena, taking her hands firmly. The delivery was a slow and painful process.   
  


“You’re doing so well Serena,” the doctor reassured her.  
  


Adam squeezed her hand and brushed a strand of hair away from her face. He smiled and glanced at Ronan, who just nodded. Adam looked concernedly at Serena. “Keep up the great work, we’re here for you,” he said.   
  


Serena screamed as another contraction washed over her, she squeezed Ronan and Adam’s hands. Sweat rolled down her face.   
  


“One more push, Serena, that’s all. Just one more,” Doctor Roberts said. He quickly glanced over his shoulder. “Get ready with the suction and blankets,” he instructed.   
  


The nurses gathered round. One held an infant suction bulb, while the other held a blanket and sponge. There was one more scream as Serena pushed one last time. The doctor gently grasped the baby, soft mewling could be heard from the other side of the bed. He carefully lifted the tiny thing over Serena’s hospital gown.  
  


He smiled under his surgical mask, his eyes crinkling at the sides.  
  


Without saying a word Doctor Roberts passed the squirming baby to his team of nurses. They made quick work of the final steps, as they drew out any final fluid from the child’s nose and throat. They quickly washed her and carefully placed her on a scale. In the end, the child weighed 6 pounds, 10 ounces. In silence the nurses checked the baby’s muscle tone, pulse rate, reflex irritability, appearance and respiration and found her to be healthy. Finally, her first diaper was wrapped around her waist and she was wrapped in a wool blanket and a wool hat.   
  


One of the nurses walked over and offered the baby to Adam.   
  
  
“Would you like to hold your baby?” she asked.    
  
  
Adam nodded dumbly. He could hear his heart pound in his ears. Hesitantly, he slipped his arms under the nurses, making sure he had a firm grip. He pulled away slowly and carefully sat back. He smiled and looked up.   
  


To Adam, the baby was beautiful. She had light, tawny skin, with a wash of light brown peach fuzz on her head. She had a petite nose, round eyes, and rose petal shaped lips. Tears filled Adam’s eyes as he brought his daughter up for her first kiss.   
  


“Ronan, Selena, meet Persephone,” he said, tilting the baby slightly.   
  


Serena beamed as she looked at Persephone, her hands resting on her stomach. “She’s beautiful,” she said.  
  


“She gets all her looks from you,” he laughed.   
  


Serena laughed softly and smiled.   
  


Meanwhile, Ronan crossed the room and knelt beside Adam, he reached down and gently stroked his daughter’s cheek. “Hey kiddo, welcome to the world,” Ronan whispered.   
  


Adam’s gaze fell onto Ronan and he noticed tears welled up in his partner’s eyes. He leaned in and kissed Persephone’s cheek. A few minutes later, he returned his gaze to Serena and wiped the tears from his eyes with his arm.   
  


“Persephone Lynch, that’s a power name that is,” Ronan said.   
  


Adam chuckled and rested his head on Ronan’s shoulder, Persephone silently sleeping in Adam’s arms. They watched as Serena fell asleep. Despite being exhausted from the early morning, neither Ronan or Adam wanted to sleep. Instead, they basked in the warm glow of their new family. Adam smiled and kissed her forehead gently.    
  


“Welcome to the world my darling Persephone,” he whispered. 


	5. Chapter 5

Serena, and the baby, didn’t need to stay long at the hospital. Adam and Ronan had to wait a couple of days for the anaesthesia to wear off, but as soon as Serena received the all clear, Adam and Ronan were quick to come pick them up. Adam, holding a bouquet of flowers and a lame bear he had bought at the hospital gift shop. Meanwhile, Ronan was the one loaded with the baby car seat, the baby bag, which was filled with extra diapers bottles filled with formula, a blanket for the ride, pacifiers, and Adam’s stupid briefcase. Ronan was a mixed bag of emotions. On the one hand, he was eager to bring home Persephone. The moment he saw Persephone sleeping soundly in Adam’s arms he had become a proud father and was excited to be starting this part of his life with Adam. On the other hand, he had his doubts about allowing Serena in the house. For most of his life, he had lived his life keeping a plethora of secrets. The only ones who really knew about his family secrets were just a small handful outside of his brothers. Adam, Gansey, Blue and  Hennessy . So, having a complete stranger so close to his secrets was anxiety inducing. 

Yet here he was, standing in the hospital foyer, beside Adam, who was goofily smiling. He reminded himself that this was for Adam. They didn’t have to wait very long. A few minutes after their arrival Serena was pushed into the foyer, Persephone resting blissfully in her arms. Adam hurriedly walked to her side and smiled proudly, offering her the gifts. 

“Here, I thought you may like these,” he said. 

“Oh Adam, these are lovely, thank you so much,” she replied. 

Adam motioned for Ronan to come. With an unamused look on his face, Ronan made his way over, the baby gear making walking awkward. He placed the carrier down and carefully took Persephone in his arms, and gently placed her in her seat, buckling her up. With her arms now free, Serena took the gifts and got to her feet. 

“Oh, and thank you again so much for allowing me to stay with you for a couple of weeks. I really appreciate it,” Serena said as the four of them made their way to the car. 

“It’s absolutely no problem. Ronan and I are happy to host you,” Adam replied. 

Ronan shot Adam a glance as he struggled with everything. “Hey, Parrish, mind helping me here,” he shot at Adam. 

“Oh, right, so sorry,” Adam replied, taking the carrier. He looked down to find Persephone awake. He smiled and tickled her with a finger on her stomach. 

Ronan opened the door to their 70s four door Chevy Truck. One of many cars that Ronan had stashed back at the Barns. Opal poked her head over the edges of the car window and stared curiously at the two new arrivals. 

Ronan slipped the bags off his shoulders and rolled his joints as he made his way to the driver’s seat, leaving Adam to get Persephone settled in the back of the car. He eyed Opal. 

“Opal, put on your seatbelt,” Ronan instructed gruffly. 

“Yes Kerrah,” she replied obediently as she clasped the seatbelt into place. 

Ronan scowled at Opal. “Speak English or come up with your own damn word,” he demanded. 

Outside, Adam paused when closing the door, keeping an eye on their daughter.    
  
“Will she be okay back here?” He asked, nervously. 

Serena slipped in the backseat with Persephone and placed a gentle hand on her. “I’ll keep a close eye on her Adam, don’t worry.” Serena jumped when she saw Opal peek her face over the edges of the carrier. 

“Oh my, I didn’t know you had a second child,” she said. 

“This is Opal, she’s my…” Ronan paused. Shit, he had totally forgotten that they had brought Opal as well. How could he explain Opal without raising any suspicions? “Cousin, from Belfast,” he finished. 

Ronan never knew much about his father’s family in Ireland. So, he could’ve had cousins, even second cousins, who were around Opal’s age. And it was the best lie that he could think of at the moment. Serena nodded her head and smiled. 

“Well, it’s very nice to meet you Opal. I’m Serena,” she said, offering her hand to the girl. 

Opal stared at the hand for a brief moment and sniffed it. “Yes, I know, Kerrah talked about you.” She clasped Serena’s hand with both of hers and mimicked what Ronan did by moving it up and down. 

Serena giggled as she watched. Meanwhile, Adam lingered at the door, his eyes staring intently at Persephone. Ronan gave a small honk of his horn. 

“Come on Parrish, if we’re going to beat the traffic back to Henrietta then we have to leave now,” Ronan said, revving the engine. 

Adam closed the back door silently and hesitantly walked to the passenger’s side, his eyes occasionally glancing through the window to check on Persephone. 

“Before I get old Parrish!” Ronan cried. 

Adam slipped into his seat and before he could even buckle himself in Ronan was off, heading towards the freeway. Because it was still mid-march, the drive back to Henrietta wasn’t the most scenic. The trees were still dead, hardened snow covered the ground, the sky was a dull grey. Things were just dull in general. At least they had each other to keep themselves company. 

“So, tell me a bit about where you grew up, Ronan. From what Adam told me, you grew up on a farm. Now that sounds exciting,” Serena said. 

“Not much to say,” Ronan replied gruffly. “Dad owned the Barns so I grew up there with my mother and two brothers. We had cows, chickens, stuff like that growing up. Dad and mom died when my brothers and I were still quite young. I’m the only one who decided to stick around. These days we have corn, apples, peaches, tomatoes. We also have cows and deer.” 

“Wow, you must be doing okay if you’re still doing it,” Serena said. 

Ronan glanced quickly at Adam, the two knowing full well that the farm wasn’t how Ronan earned most of his cash. “Uh, yeah, it helps that Adam works as a Social Worker,” he explained. “Winters are usually rough.”

“I can imagine.” Serena smiled. “Milking cows and harvesting eggs must be exciting. I’m looking forward to trying some if you would let me.” 

“Of course,” Adam chimed in with a smile. 

The rest of the drive involved Adam and Serena doing most of the talking. The two spent quite some time discussing, in depth, literature, movies, music and art. 

Ronan had dropped out of Aglionby Academy when he was only eighteen and hadn’t gotten his GED or gone to University so he felt he couldn’t properly chime in on their discussion. He preferred it anyways, since he didn’t like to talk much to strangers in general, content instead to listen to them chatter away as he drovel. 

During the drive home, they stopped several times to care for Persephone and stretch their legs. Adam offered to drive the rest of the way home, but Ronan insisted that he could complete the last few hours to the Barns. By the time they got home it was well past midnight. Adam and Ronan forgoed getting their luggage, instead focusing on helping Persephone and Serena into the house. Opal jumped out of the car and quickly dashed around the house as Adam and Ronan took what little luggage there was inside. 

“This is so quaint. I love it,” Serena complimented. 

“Thank you,” Ronan replied as he placed the baby’s bags in the corner of the living room. He walked to Serena and quietly took the baby from her. “I’m going to put Persephone to bed. Adam, do you mind showing Serena to the guest bedroom?” 

“Yeah, sure.” Adam wanted to do the honours of putting Persephone to bed but figured that it was probably best if Ronan spent some alone time with her. He looked to Serena with a smile. “If you would follow me. Ronan’s family had three boys, so we converted one of the rooms into a nursery, one of them into a spare bedroom and the last one into an office for me,” he explained as he led Serena upstairs.

With every footstep the floors squeaked, making Adam tense, worrying that he would wake up Persephone. Finally, they made it to the first bedroom. It was originally Declan’s. They had needed to take down the cowboy wallpaper and replace it with simple white paint. The bed was still the same. A single mattress sitting in a wooden, four poster frame. Adam and Ronan had found an old blanket that his mother had made in the attic and decided to place it on the spare bed along with simple white sheets and pillows. Beside the bed was an old bedside table with an electric oil lamp. A small, wooden chair sat in the corner and a drawer sat opposite the bed. A single picture of a forest sat on one of the walls. 

“This is perfect, thank you so much Adam.” Serena smiled and placed her bag on the chair. 

“Washroom is down the hall. If you need anything else, let us know.” Adam smiled and went to wander down the hall to the nursery. 

As he approached the nursery, which was originally Ronan’s room, he found that Ronan was still there, leaning against the crib, looking down at the sleeping Persephone. Adam silently entered the room. They had spent days redecorating the room, replacing Ronan’s jungle motif in favor of a simple dark grey wallpaper littered with gold stars. Dark curtains with stars hung from the windows. A white crib was pushed against the far wall, facing the door. Above the bed hung a mobile of a crescent moon and stars. There was a white changing table and white drawers to match the crib. From the attic, Ronan had found his mother’s old rocking chair that she had used for Declan and himself when they were born and placed it in the corner next to the window. Plush toys sat on a nearby shelf. 

Adam rested his chin on Ronan’s shoulder and smiled. “Penny for your thoughts,” he whispered. 

Ronan stared thoughtfully at Persephone. “I just never thought that  _ I  _ would be a father.” 

“Why’s that?” Adam asked. 

“I never really had a father to teach me how to be one. My brothers and I have been on our own for…” Ronan paused. Jeez, how long had it been since his father died? “God, it’s been more than ten years.” He rubbed his head. 

“Well, if we’re expecting our parents to teach us how to be a parent, then my father doesn’t get father of the year,” Adam chuckled. He turned Ronan. “Look, there’s no handbook that tells us how to be proper parents. Even if there was, you  _ certainly _ wouldn’t read it.” He smiled and wrapped his arms around Ronan’s wasit. “You will be an amazing father. There will be ups and downs, but you always learn from your mistakes. And that’s what makes you amazing, Ronan.” 

“That was the most...” Ronan paused. “Sappiest thing I have ever heard come out of your mouth, Parrish. But thank you.” He chuckled and kissed Adam gently. 

Adam returned the smile and took Ronan’s hand. “Come on, we should try and get  _ some  _ sleep.” 

~~

With Persephone crying every couple of hours and his chronic insomnia Ronan barely got enough sleep their first night back. As dawn approached, he felt himself jolt awake as he struggled to breathe. He dashed to the washroom and slammed the door behind him. Nightwash dripped from his nose, ears, eyes and mouth. A choked cough protruded from his mouth as nightwash fell into the sink. He had gone too long without dreaming again. But the reason why he hadn’t dreamed was because he was away from the Barns. Bad things always happened if he dreamt away from the Barns. 

He turned on the tap and watched the Nightwash flow down the drain before he washed his face. When he was clean, he heard Persephone burst into tears again. 

“Coming my dearest heart!” he called as he dried himself off and tossed the towel into the laundry basket. He rushed down the hall, to find Serena already holding her. 

She turned. “Oh, sorry, I didn’t mean to step in. I just thought I would try and help out if I can.” 

“No problem,” Ronan replied. “Much appreciated.” 

“Anythi-” Serena paused. “Uh...Ronan, I think your nose is bleeding, black blood?” 

Ronan glanced at himself in one of the windows. Shit, Nightwash was still emitting. He wiped his nose with the back of his hand. The black substance sticking to his hand. “Thank you for letting me know Serena.” 

“Anythi-” Serena couldn’t even finish before Ronan was out the door. 

Ronan rushed into the bedroom where Adam was sitting up in bed. 

“Hey, what’s up?” Adam asked, stretching. “Heard Persephone cry, is everything okay?” 

“Oh, she’s fine. It’s me I’m worried about.” Ronan took a seat and hung his arms on his knees, his hands clutching the sides of his head. 

Adam crawled across the bed and sat beside Ronan. “Ronan, what’s happening? You're worrying me.” 

“It’s the Nightwash, it’s back,” Ronan said. He sighed, his shoulders slouched. “I should have known that this would happen. But with everything that’s been going on, it completely slipped my mind. So, I walked into Persephone’s room and the Nightwash was dripping out of my nose.” 

Adam glanced at Ronan’s face to find some of the Nightwash still smeared across his face. He knelt in front of Ronan and slipped his shirt off, wiping what was left lovingly from his cheek. Adam puffed out his cheeks. 

“Listen Ronan, you need to dream,” Adam said. 

“I can’t dream when Serena’s around,” Ronan whispered. 

Adam clasped Ronan’s hands between his and squeezed gently. “I know, it’s difficult to dream when there’s someone unfamiliar in the house. But you  _ need  _ to do this before the Nightwash kills you. It’s happened before, please don’t let it happen again.” 

Of course Adam was right. The Nightwash had nearly killed him years ago when Adam was still in school because he had spent too much time away from the Barns and far too little time dreaming. It was only through his dreams that he was able to keep the Nightwash at bay. But, if he dreamt, his dreams could also harm the people around him. He sat in thought for several minutes. 

“Fine, I’ll do it. I’ll go to the barn later today and do some dreaming there. Do we need anything for Persephone?” He asked. 

Adam smiled and kissed Ronan’s hands sweetly before standing. Persephone hadn’t even been with them 24 hours and Ronan’s thoughts were already thinking of things for the baby. “Well, we could always use some of those cloth diapers, maybe some more onesies.” 

“Right, might even dream something up for Opal,” Ronan replied, as he got to his feet. “She does need a new shirt and boots. But right now, I think breakfast is in order.” 

Adam kissed Ronan before grabbing a new shirt. The two linked hands and wandered to the kitchen. Adam let Ronan go first, allowing himself to stare down the hall. 

“Serena!” He called. “We’re going to make some breakfast.” 

Serena poked her head out the door and smiled. “I’ll be right down!” She called back before disappearing back into the room. 

Adam smiled and hurried downstairs. As he entered the kitchen he could already see Ronan outside stalking off to collect eggs with Opal. So, he figured that he would start making coffee. Minutes later, Serena joined him in the kitchen, 

“Good morning Serena,” Adam said and turned to Persephone, who was in her carrier. “And a good morning to you my beautiful girl. You two are in for a real treat.” 


	6. Chapter 6

With Persephone comfortably back in her crib, Adam spent the rest of the morning helping Serena get adjusted to her temporary living arrangements by getting her fresh towels for a shower, walking the Barns grounds with her and getting her tea and snacks. Meanwhile, Ronan snuck into the barn. Over the years Ronan had made it into a comfortable space for him to dream. The room was surrounded by the dreams he had created: vintage cars, guns of varying styles, computers, piles of money; he had even dreamed up a flock of chickens (they hadn’t survived the first night). Now his dreams were solely based around making Persephone happy. 

He crossed the room to a small bed. Nothing special. A small cot with a simple blanket and pillow. He kicked off his boots and collapsed onto the bed where he fell asleep before his head even hit the pillow. 

~~

_ Ronan was pulled into his dreamspace almost immediately. Around him was the usual chaos of swirling colours. There was no floor, so it looked as if he was floating above the chaos. Ronan took a deep breath and took a seat. His eyes narrowed as he focused on creating onesies for Persephone. The first one he made fell apart almost immediately. The tattered shreds falling into his lap. The second one managed to not fall apart, but was horribly misshapen. It continued from there. With every onesie he made, they became more and more what he wanted until he had a set of five onesies for Persephone. Ronan had decided to not go with the stereotypical looks. One with the logo “Daddy’s drinking buddy,” another with “I was daddy’s fastest swimmer,” and yet another one with “Worlds most expensive alarm clock,” one was designed to mimic a farmer's overalls, and finally one that said “daddy’s princess.” _

_ With the onesies out of the way, Ronan continued to dream. Next on his list were Persephone’s pacifiers. And they proved to be just as hard as the onesies. He had seen them plenty of times while he and Adam had browsed the internet, so he had them in his mind. It was the forming of the pacifiers that was the difficult part. His first attempts had completely melted in his hands the moment he touched them. By his fifth attempt he had managed to create a simple, pink pacifier. Now that he had the hang of it he managed to create two more. One in blue and another in purple.  _

_ The last dream item was the easiest. Ronan took a deep breath and easily dreamed up a new shirt for Opal. The shirt was black with a large image of a red raven on the front. When he was done Ronan collapsed onto the ground of his dream world.  _

_ ~~ _

He jolted awake soon after. He stared at the ceiling for several minutes before sitting up. In his hands were the five onesies, three pacifiers and the shirt he dreamt up. On the floor were the failed tries. He checked his body for injuries and Nightwash to find none. He sighed with relief and pushed himself off the bed. With onesies in hand he returned to the house, entering the kitchen. Serena and Adam were sitting at the kitchen table, talking over coffee. Ronan kissed the side of Adam’s head and handed him the new onesies. Adam glanced at them before putting them down on the table and glaring at Ronan, who only smiled. 

“You think you’re so funny, don’t you?” Adam remarked. 

“In fact, I do,” Ronan replied. 

Serena reached over and took one of the onesies. After a moment, she burst into laughter. “This is quite clever, where did you get these?” She asked. 

“Oh, you know, around town,” Ronan commented with a smile. He glanced at Adam again. “See? Serena thinks I’m clever.” He nudged his partner's shoulder playfully before walking to the door. “I’m going to go and finish up some of the chores.” 

As he opened the door, Opal dashed across. There was a flash of fur from under her shirt. Serena tensed, her eyes widened as Ronan stuck his head out the door. 

“Opal! Put some shoes on damnit!” He yelled after her. 

As Ronan yelled at Opal, Serena blinked slowly. Had she just seen Opal with fur and hooves? Or was that just a costume? She thought to herself. Yes, that was it. Opal was just wearing a costume that had fur on it. Though it was a tad hot to be wearing something like that. She took a deep breath and put it at the back of her mind for now. She returned to her coffee. 

“Is everything alright?” Adam asked. “You look a bit, startled.” 

“Oh, it’s fine, I just thought I saw something strange,” she admitted. 

Adam raised an eyebrow. “Oh?” He asked. 

“Oh, I just thought Opal had fur legs and hooves. But I guess she just likes to dress up,” Serena replied, casually swinging her hand in front of her. 

Adam’s eyes quickly darted towards Ronan. “Yes, just a costume. Opal loves dressing up,” he commented. 

Ronan knew what that look meant, so he slipped out of the kitchen to follow after Opal. Adam returned his gaze to Serena with a smile. 

~~

With easy steps, Ronan rounded the house where he found Opal crouched over an old tin can, munching the lid happily. He reached down and grasped her by the collar of her large shirt, lifting her until she was eye level. The tin can still hung from her lips. He took the can from her mouth and glared at her. 

“What did we say about wearing boots when guests are here?” Ronan asked gruffly. 

“What did I do Kerah?” Opal asked, tilting her head. “Serena not family?” 

“No, Serena is  _ not  _ family. She’s just here because...because...because Adam thought it was a fucking good idea to have her visit.” Ronan pinched the bridge of his nose as he dropped Opal. “Now, go and get some damn boots on you brat!” He pointed to a small shed at the back of the garden. 

Opal nodded obediently and ran for the shed without another word. Ronan groaned and rubbed his face. The family needed to be more careful moving forward. But it was going to be hard. They were all in a situation that they weren’t used to. When he had calmed himself Ronan made his way to the back fields to begin his work. 

~~

When Adam and Serena had finished up their coffee the two made their way upstairs. In the distance they heard the sound of flapping coming from Persephone’s room. Serena tensed and ran down the hall, a split second later Adam followed her. She stopped at the door, eyes wide, when she saw a raven sitting silently on the edges of the crib. She glanced across the room to the window, which was still closed. How had this raven entered the room? 

She dashed across the room. “Shoo! Shoo!” She waved her hands in the air aggressively at the bird. 

The bird hopped round to face her and tilted its head. “ _ Kerah! _ ” was the only response. 

Adam had slipped into the room and approached Serena. “Wait, stop!” He cried, putting himself between Serena and the raven. “This is Chainsaw, she’s...kinda Ronan’s pet.” 

“He has a pet raven that he just let’s roam around the house?” Serena cried. 

“Yeah, it’s, kind of a long story,” Adam explained. “But the simplest way to explain it is he found her injured and decided to bring her back to care and raise her,” he lied. Ronan and Adam had worked on that lie if anyone had come asking. 

Behind him Chainsaw cackled and nipped at his fingers. Adam turned angrily and shooed her away and watched her fly off. 

Things were getting freaky now. First the black blood coming out of Ronan’s nose earlier that morning, then there was Opal with that supposed fur “costume,” and now a raven hanging around the house and the crib. Something was going on here and she was going to find out what. But now was not the time to be asking questions. She would have to wait. 

~~

Since starting his dreams again, the Nightwash hadn’t returned. But, because there was such a large gap in between his dreaming cycles, Ronan struggled to get his dreams under control. For the most part, they were his usual dreams: cars, new crops, items for the house. He thought he had a handle on his dreams. So, he didn’t expect the nightmare when it came. 

~~

_ Ronan was walking in Cabeswater. The trees loomed overhead, a wind rustling through the leaves. Through the branches, trickles of moonlight streamed down onto a dirt path. Snow lingered on the ground around him. And even though Ronan’s feet were bare, they weren’t cold. In fact, his body was as warm as ever. In the distance he heard an owl hoot. It’s cry echoing through the forest.  _

_ He silently walked down the path and smiled, feeling the refreshing breeze blow over him. And, for the first time in his life, he felt calm. He felt safe. He spent several minutes in quiet contemplation. His thoughts wandering to Adam and Persephone. The thought of his family making his heart flutter with joy. A warm smile spread across his face.  _

_ Subtly at first, clouds began to cover the moon, draping the path in shadow. There was a tightness in Ronan’s chest as the path suddenly disappeared. He felt his feet freeze, and his smile disappeared. His heart began to pound loudly in his ears. With all his strength he mustered enough energy to run. His breath came in heavy pants as he sprinted down the path to nowhere in particular. Suddenly, he began to feel the chill of the air around him. The distant sound of the owl was replaced with something slithering beside him.  _

_ Ronan continued to run for what seemed like forever. In the distance, he thought he saw something. It could be somewhere he could hide. With a sense of relief he sped up his pace. As he approached the object, he skidded to a stop as he realized that he was confronted by Persephone’s crib. The moon and stars mobile, dangling above the white bassinet. He slowly approached the bed and peered inside, only to find it empty. The same slithering sound could be heard approaching him. Something crawled over his feet, making Ronan pull away abruptly and tumble to the ground. He heard something begin to crawl up the sides of the crib.  _

_ The clouds soon dispersed to reveal black vines slowly creeping up the sides of the crib. Ronan closed his eyes and forced himself awake.  _

~~

Ronan jolted awake and sat up in bed. Beside him, Adam stirred and reached out for him. Before Adam could touch him, Ronan jumped out of bed and hurried down the hall to Persephone’s room. As he entered, everything seemed to appear normal. He immediately went onto his hands and knees, peering underneath the crib he found black vines, with crimson thorns, begin to appear under it. He reached under and yanked the vines away. He winced as the thorns pricked his hands. As he pulled his hands away, blood dripped onto the floor. 

“Shit,” he muttered. 

“Is everything okay?” A voice asked from behind him. 

Ronan turned sharply to find Serena standing behind him. He hid the vines behind his back and stiffened. 

“Yes, everything is fine,” he lied. 

Serena raised an eyebrow, her eyes glancing to the floor where she spotted the blood. Clearly things were not okay. She entered the room. 

“What are you hiding behind her back?” she asked. 

“Nothing of importance,” Ronan lied again. 

Serena scowled. Things had already been freaky enough as it was. If something was going on, she wanted to know,  _ now _ . She reached around Ronan, attempting to grab whatever was behind his back. Ronan quickly turned his body so that she just barely reached the vines. She lunged for them again, and again and Ronan kept darting away. 

“Ronan, you show me what’s behind your back this instant,” Serena insisted. 

“This is for your own safety,” he replied and hurried out of the room before she could say anything else. Serena followed close behind. “Adam!” He called. 

From the bedroom, Adam poked his head out, still bleary eyed. He noticed the commotion and sighed. This was the last thing he wanted first thing in the morning. 

“What’s going on, Ronan? What’s with the racket?” Adam asked, as he stifled a yawn. 

Thinking on his feet, Ronan switched to Latin, knowing that it was a language that only he and Adam understood. “ **It’s my dreams, they’re becoming dangerous,** ” he explained. 

“ **Oh no** ,” Adam replied. “ **What is it this time** ?”

Ronan eyed Serena. “ **Black vines, they were trying to engulf Persephone’s crib. I managed to get them, but there’s blood all over the floor.** **Please help**.”

Adam needed to think fast. “Serena, Ronan found a couple of loose nails under Persephone’s crib. These old houses need a lot of maintenance, you know.” He smiled. “How about we go and get some coffee?” He suggested. 

Serena eyed the two of them suspiciously. They were both acting strange now.  _ But _ , she wasn’t going to push it. Instead, she smiled and nodded. 

“Coffee, yes, that’s a good idea.” 

She soon joined Adam and they both made their way downstairs to the kitchen. Once Ronan knew that they were gone, he dashed downstairs and out the front door, making his way around the house to the barn. 

~~

As the week progressed, Ronan’s dreams got progressively worse. And, try as he might, the vines got harder to get rid of. By Sunday morning, his hands were a mangled mess. In the privacy of the bathroom Adam carefully cleaned Ronan’s wounds and wrapped them in bandages. He looked up. 

“Are you sure going to Church is the best idea right now?” he asked. 

“It’s something to take my mind off what’s happening,” Ronan replied. 

“Ronan, this vine situation is a serious issue that needs to be dealt with. Our daughter is in danger,” Adam insisted. 

“I know that,” Ronan snapped, pulling his hands away from Adam. “I’ve been trying my best to try and handle the problem on the dream side. But, as you can see, they’re proving to be a little difficult.” 

Ronan slipped on a dress shirt over his torn jeans, not attempting to tuck it in. He returned to the bedroom and grabbed a pair of socks that were tossed onto the floor and took a seat on the bed to slip them on. Adam followed him and leaned against the doorframe. He crossed his arms casually. 

“You really are trying, aren’t you?” he said. 

“This is the hardest I’ve tried to control my dreams, Adam,” Ronan admitted. “Everything I do is for Persephone’s protection. And the fact that I can’t…” He paused and clenched his hands on his pants. “Terrifies me. Everything that’s been happening terrifies me. If I don’t dream then the Nightwash comes back, but if I do dream then there’s the possibility of the vines taking control.” 

Adam had never seen Ronan this worried before about his dreams. Ronan was always so stoic, he rarely showed any kind of emotion. Yet, here he was, dropping his guarded nature. Adam knelt across from Ronan and tilted his head so that they were looking at each other. 

“I’m sorry for that outburst Ronan, I should have trusted you when you were saying that you were doing everything in your power to make sure that Persephone is safe,” Adam whispered. He pulled Ronan’s head close to his and pressed their foreheads together. “I’m sure we can figure this out together. I’ll consult the cards later to help.” 

Ronan nodded. “That would be much appreciated.” He pulled away from Adam and checked his watch. “Shit, I need to go.” He got to his feet and hurried to the door.    
  
Adam followed close on his heels and turned quickly off into Persephone’s room. He had decided to give Serena a break from caring for the baby. So, decided to spend quality time with her around town. He looked down at her, where she was peacefully sleeping. Without missing a beat, he reached down and picked her up, carrying her silently downstairs, where Ronan was already standing in his shoes. 

Adam smiled. Ronan rarely wore anything fancy when he went to Church, and today was no exception. He wore a tidy dress shirt and his cleanest pair of jeans. Adam paused and smoothed out any wrinkles from his shirt, lovingly. 

“Have a nice time at Church,” he said, kissing Ronan gently. 

Ronan grunted and returned the kiss. “I’ll certainly try. We’ll see how much of a douchebag Declan is today.” 

Adam chuckled as Ronan opened the door and strode to the car. When the car had pulled down the driveway, Adam placed Persephone into her carrier and collected the baby bag. As he went to the door, Serena had managed to get to the bottom of the stairs. He smiled at her. 

“I’m going to be out for a bit with Persephone and Ronan’s at Church, so, enjoy some privacy. Help yourself to anything in the fridge,” Adam said. 

“Oh, okay. Enjoy.” Serena smiled and watched Adam leave.    
  
From the window, Serena watched as Adam secured Persephone into the family’s second car before slipping into the car himself. She watched as the car drove away and disappeared down the long driveway. When the car was gone, she hurried to the backyard. 

Serena would be lying if she told herself that she  _ hadn’t  _ seen the vines constantly being taken out of Persephone’s room. Now, with Ronan and Adam gone she had a chance of proving what she had concluded all along. Once in the backyard, she paused. If she were Ronan, where would she hide the vines? Her first thought was to check for compost bins. Ronan was a farmer, he had to keep a compost bin for his crops. 

She checked for Opal and that bird, Chainsaw, before making her way towards the crops. In several small patches, Ronan grew simple vegetables: carrots, green beans, tomatoes, potatoes, sweet potatoes, onions, parsnips, turnips and lettuce. In the far field, he had several healthy rows of wheat and corn that went on for what seemed like forever. Serena was surprised that he was able to harvest this all on his own. 

As she drew closer to the fields, Serena kept her eyes open for the compost bin. She spent forty-five minutes wandering the farm for the bin, with no luck. She turned and began her return to the house, walking past the barn, when she heard something slithering from behind the barn door. Serena stopped, her gaze stopping on the door. The sound came again. She gulped and slowly reached out for the handle, her hand shaking the entire time. 

Serena took several deep breaths to calm her nerves, before placing her hand on the door handle. “Right, you can do this Serena,” she reassured herself. 

She slid the door open and gasped. The cavernous room was filled with junk. There were cars, and car parts, scattered around the room. Pieces of machines dangled from the ceiling. Broken guns hung carefully along the back. Unknown animal bones were tossed into a large pile next to the wall. Decaying and mutilated crops were lying in a pile in the corner. Piles of unused fertilizer were everywhere. On the floor, next to her feet, were mangled pacifiers and tattered onesies. The sound of slithering came again. Before she knew it, something was wrapping itself around her ankle. She jumped and screamed, falling to the floor. She looked down at her leg, to find the vine trying to crawl up it. 

Panicked, she ripped what she could off her leg and crawled away. “I knew it...he’s been hiding these vines.” She took what was left of the vine and pocketed it. She needed to get out of here before she was either caught or hurt. 

She scrambled to her feet and rushed out the door, slamming the door behind her. Serena rushed back to the house and made her way up to her room, hiding herself away. Her heart still pounding. She leaned on the door and slid to the floor, pulling out the vine she had gotten. She had done it, she had gotten her evidence. 


	7. Chapter 7

Her heart pounded heavily in her chest as Serena pressed her back against the door. Her hand rested on her pocket. It took an additional several minutes to get herself to a point where she felt calm...er. She rested her head against the door as she pulled the vine from her pocket. The vine was pitch black, like midnight, with bright crimson thorns. It writhed and coiled in her hand like a snake. She carefully pulled back one of the parchment coloured leaves, which seemed odd compared to the rest of the vine. As she examined the leaf closely she saw small scribbles written in straight lines. She brought it up to eye level and squinted. 

“Petra-a-infantem vale, de arbore. Cum perflata, et in cunabula lapis. Cum ramos abrumpit, quod autem ceciderit cunabula. Et descendit puer meus venire, et cunabula,” she read slowly. 

Was that Latin? Her jaw dropped. This was certainly the strangest sight she had seen since coming to the house. And she had seen some pretty strange things. Soon, the sound of wheels crunching on the gravel driveway could be heard approaching the house. Serena looked up and rushed to the door in time to see Ronan stepping out of his car with a guest. Another car quickly pulled up behind Ronan’s. She hurried to her suitcase, which was sitting on the chair, and stuffed the vine into the small top pocket. She would get back to that when she could. 

Serena swung open the door to her room just as the front door opened. Ronan’s heavy footsteps, followed by others, enter the house. 

“Serena? You still here?” Ronan called. 

“Yes!” She called back, trying to keep her voice level. “I’ll be down in a minute.” 

She took several deep breaths and smoothed out her shirt. “Just act casual, Serena.” 

When she felt ready, Serena made her way downstairs. She heard voices coming from the living room. Voices that she didn’t recognize. She approached silently and entered the room, where she was greeted by new faces. A young man, no older than 24, jumped to his feet. His blonde curls bouncing as he got up. His blue eyes sparkled as she entered the room, his smile revealing cute dimples on either cheek. Serena noticed that the man wore neat jeans and a dress shirt, that was tucked in. He opened his arms in welcome.    
  
“When you told me that she was pretty, I didn’t expect gorgeous Ronan,” the man said as he approached Serena. “I’m Matthew Lynch, Ronan’s little brother.” 

He wrapped his arms around her and pulled her in for a hug. Serena could smell a great deal of cologne on Matthew. She never thought a man  _ could  _ wear that much cologne. 

“Very nice to meet you Matthew,” she said as she stepped back.

The other man on the couch got to his feet. Unlike Matthew, this man was much older. The man had dark brown curls, which was neatly pushed back with, no doubt, an excessive amount of hair gel. Like the other Lynches, he had blue eyes, a sharp nose and a wide jaw line. He wore a neat, black suit, including a black tie, as well as a pair of dress shoes. He offered Serena his hand. 

“Hello, you must be Serena, I’m Declan Lynch, Ronan’s older brother,” he said. 

“Nice to meet Declan.” Serena took his hand and shook it warmly. 

“They wanted to come and meet you and the baby after Church,” Ronan admitted. “So, we came back together. But it seems that Parrish is still out with Persephone. So, until he gets back we can make some lunch, have a couple of drinks and sit on the porch.” 

Serena smiled. “This is time for you and your brothers. Why don’t I make lunch and bring it out to you?”    
  
“It’s fine, it’ll be much faster if I do it,” Ronan insisted. 

Declan and Matthew nodded as they headed for the back porch. On his way past Serena, Declan offered his arm and smiled dashingly. Serena grinned and slipped her hand through his arm, allowing herself to be led through the house.

“Thank you Declan. This is very sweet of you,” she said.

Ronan followed quietly behind them, hands in his pockets, shoulders slouched. As he stopped in the kitchen, Matthew, Declan and Serena walked onto the porch. Ronan watched as the three of them sat on old, wooden furniture that his father had so skillfully dreamed up. He smiled softly. After a while, he shook his head, remembering that he had to make lunch. 

From the cupboards and fridge Ronan pulled out the ingredients for sandwiches and tomato soup. It wasn’t going to be special. He worked silently, listening to the muffled conversation from the other side of the door. 

It didn’t take long to whip up five grilled cheese sandwiches and a large pot of tomato soup for all of them. Just as he was finishing plating everything, Adam walked in with a crying Persephone. The wails reaching the kitchen. Ronan looked up, as a frazzled Adam walked through the kitchen door. He chuckled. 

“Doing okay there Mr. Dad?” Ronan asked, picking Persephone up from the stroller.

“She’s been like this for forty-five minutes. I don’t know what went wrong,” Adam replied. “I changed her, I fed her, I coddled her and she’s still crying.” 

Ronan chuckled again as he gently rocked Persephone in his arms. “Maybe she just needs a bit of Da time.” He turned and skillfully, with Persephone in one arm, he began to place the plates of food on the table. 

Adam counted the number of plates on the table and raised an eyebrow. 

Ronan caught Adam’s look. “Declan and Matthew came to see Persephone,” he explained. 

“Ah, I see,” he replied. 

Ronan looked over his shoulder. “Lunch is ready!” he called. 

There was a shuffling of chairs as the three outside got up and came in. Matthew froze as he saw Ronan holding Persephone, causing Declan to ram into the younger Lynch, a huge smile spreading across his face. Declan glanced up and, even he, managed a smile. 

“She’s certainly beautiful,” Declan commented. 

“Beautiful? She’s gorgeous!” Matthew said and walked over to Ronan. 

“I guess she’s alright. She’s marginally more interesting than a puppy,” Ronan replied, taking a seat at the table. 

Adam glared at Ronan and frowned as he took a seat at the table. Ronan returned the glare with a sly smile and winked. Matthew took his seat beside Ronan and leaned in to continue to gaze lovingly at Persephone. Declan sat on the other side of Ronan and shook his head. Between the three Lynch brothers, Matthew had always been the one to show his affections freely. And this was no exception. 

Declan cleared his throat and bowed his head and offered his hands. Ronan and Matthew followed suit, linking hands with Declan. Normally, Ronan wasn’t one to pray before a meal, with the exception of Sundays. Of course, they didn’t expect Adam and Serena to join them. The three brothers said a silent prayer while Adam and Serena began to eat. When they were done they looked up and silently began to eat.

“So, how long are you going to be here Ms. Oliveria?” Declan asked, finally breaking the silence. 

Serena paused and placed her spoon down on the table. “Oh, I’m just here for another week and then I’m heading back to New Hampshire,” she explained. 

“And what do you do in New Hampshire?” Matthew asked before taking a bite of his sandwich. 

“I’m a Social Worker; I work with helping children of immigrant families get settled in America. This includes developing various programs such as: Homework Support at the local community center, ESL lessons with teachers, movie nights. I also do regular check-ins with the families to see if the kids are doing alright,” she replied. 

“That’s very noble of you,” Declan said. “Adam, isn’t that what you do?” 

“It’s similar,” Adam replied. “Like Serena, I work with children, however, I work for Children’s Aid Services. It’s my job to check-in on at risk youth who are potentially being abused by their parents, assess the situation and ultimately take them out of the situation if need be. I actually have an open case right now. I had to remove a child from their home. It was hard to find him a place in Henrietta but a couple in South Carolina offered to take him in. An Andrew Minyard and Neil Josten, if I remember correctly.” 

“The Exy players?” Ronan asked. 

Adam nodded. “Yeah. It’s a hell of a drive each way. But, whenever I have to do my home visits it will be my only visit for the day,” he explained. 

“Wow, never expected two famous Exy players to take in foster kids,” Ronan said, raising his spoon to his mouth. 

“Well, we’re always happy to get new families no matter where they come from,” Adam said. 

Serena nodded in agreement and smiled. The rest of the meal was spent in conversation. The five of them spoke of movies, literature, childhood memories of the Lynch brothers. Most of them were of Declan and Ronan’s epic boxing battles whenever either of them got angry. Serena couldn’t help but laugh. 

Declan finished the last of his sandwich and watched as Matthew wiped whatever was left of his soup with his before getting up. “Thanks for lunch Ronan. Really appreciate it. Now it’s time for Matthew and I to head home before traffic gets bad.” 

“Yeah, sure.” Ronan got up.    
  
“Serena and I can do the dishes,” Adam said.

Serena nodded and began to collect the dishes. Meanwhile, Ronan followed his brothers to the front door. 

“Thank you for lunch pal,” Matthew said, using Ronan’s childhood nickname. 

“Yes, it was enjoyable. I quite liked talking with Serena,” Declan added. “She’s someone special.” 

Ronan nodded silently. “Yes, I agree. Serena’s been a great addition to the family these last few days.” 

“See you next week pal,” Matthew said. 

Ronan smiled easily and nodded. “Yeah, see you next week.” 

Ronan watched his brothers leave in Declan’s car before slipping back into the house. By the time he entered the kitchen, Serena and Adam were already done. Adam sat silently at the table, feeding Persephone her bottle, while Serena was heading for the stairs. 

“I’m...just going to go upstairs for a quick rest,” she said. 

Adam looked up and nodded. “Let us know if you need anything.” 

“I will Adam.” Serena smiled quickly and hurried past Ronan. 

She needed to get back to her room and do more research into the vine she had collected earlier that morning. When she reached the bottom of the stairs, she took the steps two at a time and rushed to her room. As she entered her bedroom, Serena’s heart stopped as she horrifyingly watched the vine now grow and stretch from her bag and across the floor. She covered her mouth to keep herself from screaming. The last thing she needed was to get Adam and Ronan. If they saw the vines in her room, they would know what she had done. And who knew what would happen next? 

After taking a moment to compose herself, Serena sprang into action; pulling the vines away from her bag and stuffing them into the small closet in the corner. She threaded a spare scarf through the handles and tied it tightly, making sure that the vines wouldn’t escape. After that, she collapsed onto her bed and fell asleep. 

~~

The next morning Ronan and Adam decided to take Persephone out and meet up with their friends Blue and Gansey. 

“We’re going to be taking the BMW. We’ll leave you the truck so you’re not stuck here at the farm,” Adam explained as he packed the essentials into Persephone’s travel bag. 

Meanwhile, Persephone was sleeping peacefully in her stroller. 

“Much appreciated,” Serena said. 

In the distance, the door connected to the kitchen opened. Ronan’s heavy footsteps were heard making their way through the house. He was wiping his hands on an old rag as he entered the living room. 

“Fed Chainsaw and Opal’s somewhere outside. We should get good to go,” he said. 

“Great.” Adam stood and placed the bag over his shoulder. He glanced at Serena and smiled. “We’ll see you a bit later.” 

Ronan soon joined Adam and the two made their way out to the car. It took them several minutes to figure out how to secure the car seat into the BMW. But once Persephone was inside, they soon departed. Serena remained at the house for an additional half hour before feeling confident enough to leave to start her research on the vines and the Lynch family. She slipped into the car and turned on the ignition, the car purring to life. 

“Time to find some answers,” Serena whispered. 

~~

Ronan stopped the car in front of 300 Fox Way. The two of them stared at the large townhouse. Its powder blue exterior was now rain worn and dirty. Ivy crept along the side of the house, suffocating the windows . The shingles of the roof stained and slightly mouldy. They slipped out of the car. As Adam went to get Persephone from the back, Ronan noticed a second car in the driveway. Yet another shit Camaro. And he could only assume that it belonged to Gansey. That boy was so predictable it hurt. 

As Adam pulled out of the car with Persephone, Ronan cleared his throat. “Gansey’s here.” 

Adam followed Ronan’s gaze until he spotted the Camaro. “Wow, he’s upgraded to the 1980s Camaro,” Adam commented as he placed the baby across his shoulders, holding the carrier with both hands. 

The two casually made their way across the weather worn porch of 300 Fox Way. Even though there was a functioning doorbell, Ronan forgoed using it and pounded on the door with the side of his fist. They waited in silence for several minutes. Ronan was just about to knock again, when the door squeaked open. Calla had opened the door with a smile as her eyes met Adam’s. Her smiling face soon turned into a scowl as her gaze fell on Ronan. 

“You’re late Snake,” she commented. 

“Nice to see you too Calla,” Ronan replied, stepping through the door. 

“Not sure how you deal with him magician,” Calla said. 

Adam chuckled. “He’s not that bad Calla, honestly.” 

Adam followed Ronan through the door. The halls were the same. The walls decorated with an eclectic array of colours and decorations indicating just how different each personality was in the house. Voices could be heard coming from the living room. The two followed the voices and turned into the next room where Gansey and Blue were sitting on one of the couches, a carrier sitting between them. Maura sat cross legged in one of the loveseats, a mug of tea between her hands. 

Talking soon stopped and their gazes fell on Ronan and Adam. Gansey and Blue broke out into big smiles and got to their feet. Gangey made quick work of raising his hand and approaching. Typical. Blue followed suit. Her arms outstretched for hugs. 

“Ronan, Adam,” he said, offering his hand to Ronan. 

The two shook hands warmly before Ronan moved onto Blue. There were no words between the two, instead they exchanged the briefest of hugs. Meanwhile, Gansey approached Adam, offering his hand. 

“I would shake your hand, but…” he raised the carrier. 

“Right, you have a new addition to the family,” Gansey said as he kneeled. He pushed up his glasses and peered into the carrier. “Isn’t she absolutely beautiful.” 

He reached into the carrier and stroked her cheek gently with a finger. 

“Her name’s Persephone,” Adam explained. 

“After the psychic, right?” Gansey asked. 

Adam nodded silently. “It’s to honor her.” 

Blue quietly approached, with a smile, while Gansey fussed over Persephone. She hugged Adam tightly and kissed him on the cheek. 

“Congratulations on the new addition to your family,” she said. 

“Thank you. It’s been a tough week but it’s been so worth it,” Adam replied. “Congratulations yourself. A boy, ummm...Morgan, if I’m correct.” 

“Yeah, you’re right. Morgan Richard Gansey,” Blue said. 

“Your family must be happy.” 

Blue waved her hand. “Dick’s parents were thrilled to have a grandson. Especially since Helen has two girls. My mom says she’s neutral, but I think she secretly wanted a girl.” 

“Now, don’t you put words into my mouth Blue,” her mother commented behind them. 

Blue chuckled and shook her head. “Dick, stop fussing and let Adam take a seat,” she said, tugging on Gansey’s sleeve. 

“Oh, of course Jane. You’re right.” Gansey got to his feet and joined Blue back onto the couch. 

Adam took a seat and placed the carrier beside him. “So, how are you finding parenthood?” he asked. 

Gasney rested an arm on the back of the couch. “It has its ups and down. Morgan certainly keeps us on our toes. But we wouldn’t change it for the world.” 

“Easy for him to say, all Dick does is occasionally change a dirty diaper,” Blue joked, glancing sideways at Gansey. 

He chuckled. “Oh, I do a lot more than just that my dearest Jane.” 

“Okay, okay, stop with all the fussing. Onto the more serious stuff,” Maura chimed in and clapped her hands together. 

“Oh mom, not readings. Morgan is just a few months old, Persephone only a week,” Blue complained. 

“You’re never too young for a reading,” Maura admitted and pushed herself off the loveseat. 

She disappeared round the corner, only to come back with her tarot deck. The decorated back with gold inked trees shimmered in the light. Maura returned to her seat, shuffling the cards skillfully in her hands. Ronan gave an exasperated sigh and rolled his eyes, Blue looked just as unimpressed. Meanwhile, Gansey and Adam looked eagerly at the deck. Adam had been meaning to do his own reading on their daughter, but never found the time to do it. 

“This reading is to see which card is associated with the child, which will predict what kind of person they will grow up to be,” Maura explained. “Now, shall we start with the oldest?” Maura asked, indicating Morgan. 

“Excellent.” Gansey reached into the carrier, lifting Morgan out. 

Morgan, by now, was four months old. Already, he had tuft of dark brown hair, almost black, with brown eyes and a strong, straight nose. Blue had dressed him in a homemade onesie she had made from, at least, three different onesies. He looked up, curiously, at Gansey and reached a hand out. Gansey smiled and kissed Morgan’s cheek lovingly. Gansey rested Morgan against his stomach, so that he could sit straight and looked to Maura, indicating that she could start. 

Maura leaned forward and spread the cards across the table. She motioned to the cards. “Just pick one.” 

“Oh, right.” Gansey leaned forward with Morgan and allowed him to place his hands on the cards. 

Morgan gurgled and slapped the table. After several minutes of exploring, his fingers wrapped around a card. Gently, Maura took it from him and glanced at it. 

“Hmmmm….” she said thoughtfully. 

“What?” Gansey asked. 

“Your son has pulled the Emperor card,” Maura explained, placing the card down. 

The card depicted an elderly gentleman, adorned with regal clothing, a long robe flowing down to the ground. He sat upon a stone throne, decorated with rams heads. In his right hand, he held a large ankh, while in his left he held a glowing orb. Gansey looked with interest. 

“The Emperor represents a powerful leader, who demands respect and authority. Status, power and recognition will be important to him. And he will feel comfortable in positions of leadership. He will listen to the advice of others, but ultimately, any decision will need to be his choice. He will protect those he cares about. And in return people will repay him with loyalty,” Maura explained. 

“Wow, all that from one card?” Gansey asked. 

Maura nodded and returned the card to the deck. She scooped the deck back up and began to shuffle again, glancing at Adam. “Now, for Persephone.” She motioned for Adam to join her. 

Adam scooped Persephone into his arms and joined Maura on the loveseat. Again, she spread the cards onto the table. She motioned to the cards with a smile. With the upmost care, Adam took Persephone’s hand and glanced at the cards. Persephone pulled her hand away from his and dropped it on a card that was just sticking out farther than the rest. Maura pulled the card and smiled. 

“What do the cards foretell for Persephone?” Adam asked.

“Persephone got the Empress, which interestingly enough, was also the other Persephone’s card,” Maura said. 

Adam felt a tingle all over his body and looked down at Persephone. She had chosen  _ her  _ card. He smiled and held Persephone close. “What does it mean for her?” 

Maura placed the card on the table. The Empress was a beautiful woman, with long blonde hair that reached past the card. On her head, she wore a crown of twelve stars, she wore a dress decorated with pomegranates. In her hand, she held a pomegranate half. 

“The Empress is the symbol of femininity. This can translate to many things--elegance, sensuality, fertility, creative expression, nurturing. I sense that she great creativity and psychic energy within her and she will go far with this. Maybe even become a psychic herself. I also sense that she will take on a nurturing role. She will have a strong urge to care for others. Whether it be a sibling, or a lover,” Maura explained. 

“Our daughter ain’t going to date,” Ronan chimed in, angrily crossing his arms. 

Maura looked up and smiled slyly. “I am only giving you what the cards tell me Snake.” She placed the card back and reshuffled. “The Emperor and the Empress are also cards that are often connected to each other. So, Morgan and Persephone are going to become quite close, I feel.” 

“Mom, not another romance prediction. What? Are they going to kill each other or something if they kiss?” Blue asked. 

“No, but they are going to be important in each others lives,” Maura replied, placing the deck aside. She looked around the room, her eyes fixating on Adam and then onto Ronan. “I should also warn you that you two are in grave danger. Someone is looking into your past,” she said. 


	8. Chapter 8

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> I am so sorry that this is so late!! I've been busy with so many other projects. I promise, to my loyal followers, that I will update regularly.

Serena knew she needed to find information about the Lynch family and the Barns, and she knew she needed to learn it fast. She figured that the best place to start was City Hall, where she could probably at least get a bit of family history, maybe even a marriage license or birth certificate for Ronan. At least that would be a start. 

So, she made her way through the city and, after getting lost twice, she managed to find City Hall. After finding parking, Serena made her way inside, her shoes softly echoing on the floor. The receptionist looked up from his phone as she approached the desk. He was a skinny man, with an angular face and limbs that went on forever. A pair of overly round glasses sat on the bridge of his nose. Like all business men, he wore a three piece suit and a neatly pressed tie. He placed his phone down and smiled. 

“May I help you, miss?” he asked politely. 

“Yeah I’m looking for information about the Lynch family,” she explained. 

“Are you a family member?” he inquired. 

Technically, she wasn’t a family member and, therefore, wasn’t privy to information about the Lynch’s. She needed to figure out a lie and she had the perfect one. Serena smiled and placed her hands on the table. 

“I’m a Social Worker. It seems that Ronan Lynch has put in a request to Foster a child with his partner, Adam Parrish, and Children’s Aid needs to look into the records to just check up on the family. So, I was hoping I could get a bit more information about them. Marriage certificates, plans for the farm, death certificates, if any,” she lied with a smile. 

The receptionist stared her down for several minutes, pushing his glasses up his nose. Serena kept her usual smile, her elbows pressing on the counter. He finally cleared his throat and looked down at his computer. 

“Let me see what I can do,” he said as his fingers flew across the keyboard. 

Serena let out a sigh of relief. “Thank you. This means a lot to me.” 

“Do you have a home address or an email we can send the information too?” he asked. 

“Oh, of course.” Serena didn’t remember the address of the Barns, so instead, she gave him her email address. “This is a small town, everyone knows things about everyone. Is there anywhere else I can find information about the Lynch family?” 

The receptionist paused and looked around, making sure that no one was listening. He leaned in and motioned for her to come closer. “The library should have information about the Lynch family,” he whispered. “What happened to the family was all over the news. But you didn’t hear it from me.” \

Serena nodded. “Thank you so much, for everything.” 

She pulled away and made her way out the door. It wasn’t much, but it was a start. 

~~

“Is it just me or is Maura crazier than usual?” Ronan asked as he and Adam got into the car. 

“That’s just Maura being Maura and you know it, Ronan,” Adam replied as he secured Persephone in the back of the car. “And you know that the family usually predicts things that come true.” 

Ronan grunted a response and slipped into the driver’s seat. Ronan sighed and rested his arms over the wheel. He hoped that Perseophone would just be a normal kid. But, with him being a Dream Thief and Adam being a psychic, the likelihood of that happening was slim. Adam slipped into the car beside him and glanced at Ronan. 

“Are you okay?” he asked. 

Ronan shook his head, breaking away from his thoughts. “Hmmm?” He paused as he tried to decipher what Adam had just said. “Just thinking about Persephone. With our fucked up abilities she won’t be a normal little girl, will she?” He smirked. 

“Probably not, but that’s what will make her special,” Adam replied. 

“She’s our daughter, she’s already fucking special,” Ronan argued. 

“You know what I mean Ronan!” Adam said. 

Ronan laughed heartily in reply and began the drive home. 

~~

Serena had learned that the library wasn’t too far from City Hall, so she had decided to walk the ten blocks. The library itself was a two storey, brick building with a large archway over the front door, while strings of ivy crawled up the wall and tangled on the roof. Beside the door was a bronze plaque that read “Henrietta Public Library” in black lettering. It was quite quaint. 

She entered and headed straight for the information desk. The receptionist, a young woman who looked to be in her mid-twenties, looked up from the book she was reading. She wore a pair of leggings and a large, plaid shirt over a white tanktop. On her head she wore a large toque that sagged baggily behind her head. 

“Hello, how can I help you today?” she asked, setting the book down beside her. 

“Ummm, I was wondering if you have anything about the Lynch family,” she said. 

The woman looked down at her computer and typed in the name. She was quiet for several minutes as she scrolled through the pages, scribbling something on occasion every so often. Serena didn’t have to wait long. The librarian looked up from her computer and handed her a small piece of paper, with only two article codes on it. 

“Could only find these articles on the Lynch family. They’re pretty old articles, you can read them on one of our microfiche readers at the back of the library,” she explained, indicating the direction.

“Thank you,” she replied. 

Serena rushed through the library, not wanting to waste a moment, where she entered a small area with a series of filing cabinets. Tables were pressed up against the wall with microfiche machines sitting on the surface. The microfiche machines were made up of one computer screen and something that looked like a complicated scanner. 

She glanced at her codes and began to work through the filing cabinets. It took several minutes of searching, but she finally was able to find the articles she was looking for. She glanced at the date. One was from twenty-six years ago, while the second was only from about eleven. Still, the paper was beginning to age yellow. Very carefully, Serena took the newspaper from its place in the filing cabinet and placed it on the table. She pressed start on the microfiche machine and it sprung to life. 

She took a seat and slipped the first article into the machine. The words suddenly grew larger in size. Her eyes drifted to the headline:  **Niall Lynch the Million Dollar Man of Henrietta** . 

_ Niall Lynch, born and raised in Belfast, Ireland, came to Henrietta 25 years prior to seek his fortune in America. It was here that he began to make his fortune with nothing more than a few bucks in his pockets. When he first set foot in Henrietta, Niall bought a plot of land just on the outskirts of town. It was here that he started his farming business and it began to skyrocket, making his first million within the year.  _

_ Soon, he met and married Aurora Cosgrove in a simple wedding on his farm. Together they continued to build Niall’s business enterprise selling farming equipment to farmers, not only within Virginia, but also in neighbouring states. Not long after, Declan Lynch, the couple’s first son was born. A few years later, the couple's second son, Ronan Lynch, was born. And finally, the last son, Matthew Lynch, was born just a year later.  _

_ Meanwhile, the business continued to thrive when Niall began to make deals overseas. According to his wife, he would often disappear for months at a time to visit foregin countries with various investors and interested buyers. These business deals were quite successful for Niall. He soon had built up a several million dollar business. _

The article continued with statements from people in the community about how he would support the community. The article even had a statement from his wife about how happy they were to have settled in Henrietta and how proud she was of Niall’s accomplishments. But Serena found it odd that he had been able to make such a large enterprise with just one farm. And it wasn’t even a farm with plenty to offer, not like a dairy or egg farm. So, how could Niall have made so much with the little resources he had? It was peculiar. 

She slipped the second article into the machine. This time, the headline said:  **Million Dollar Man Dead** . That was certainly a headline. She noted that the date the article was written was July 4th. Interesting time to be writing an article about someone’s death. She scrolled to the start of the article. 

_ Niall Lynch, farmer and self-made millionaire, found dead in his driveway, the evening of July 1st. The body was found by second oldest son, Ronan Lynch, after a night out with friends. Police say that he was killed with a tire iron by an unknown assailant. His face was so badly smashed in that it was hard to identify the body. He leaves behind wife, Aurora Lynch, and three sons, Declan, Ronan and Matthew Lynch. No one knows what is to come of his million dollar property or all his assets.  _

_ Sources say that after Niall’s death, wife Aurora fell into a coma. Meanwhile, all three sons were forced to move into the dorms of the famous school, Aglionby Academy. Cops and Lawyers have refused to let any of the boys be interviewed at this time.  _

_ Meanwhile, the killer is still at large within the community of Henrietta. The Mayor has issued a curfew that no one is allowed to be out past 9:00 every evening. Police advise to keep an eye open for any suspicious activity and to never go out alone. Our hearts and prayers go out to the Lynch family during this sad time.  _

Because not much was known about the killer, the article ended there. Serena pulled the article out from the machine carefully and placed it on top of the other beside her. So, the father was killed under mysterious circumstances. First the mysterious millions, then the mysterious death. The story was certainly getting weirder and weirder. She got to her feet and took the articles, making photocopies of both before slipping them back into the filing cabinet. She slipped the articles into her bag before making her way out. 

“Thank you,” she said to the librarian, waving. 

“Anytime,” came the reply. 

Once out of the library, she checked her phone. By now it was past noon, pushing on one o’clock. Serena figured that it was time to head back to the Barns. She found the car, no problem, and slowly made her way back. 

~~

By the time Ronan and Adam returned to the house, it was empty. 

“Serena? Chainsaw? Opal?” Ronan called. 

His voice echoing through the house. Adam slipped off his shoes and made his way up to the second floor. 

“Serena must have stepped out for a bit,” he said. 

“I guess so,” Ronan replied. “I’m going to go see if I can find Opal and Chainsaw. Make sure that they didn’t get into any trouble while we were gone.” 

Ronan stepped out of the house. Meanwhile, Adam took Persephone up to her room and placed her gently into her crib. He paused for a moment, leaning on the edges of the crib. He smiled and reached down to stroke her cheek while she slept. He loved her  _ so  _ much, it hurt. 

“I love you my little guppy,” he whispered. 

He didn’t even notice that he was hungry until his stomach growled. Right, he and Ronan had both missed lunch while they were driving back. He turned on the baby monitor and hurried down the stairs, back to the kitchen. 

~~

Ronan found Opal and Chainsaw round the back of the house. Both seemed to be fighting over a piece of scrap that they had found next to the recycling bin. Chainsaw gurgled menacingly, while Opal chomped her teeth loudly. He shook his head and brushed them aside with his foot. 

“There’s plenty of food for the both of you inside,” he snapped. 

He grabbed Chainsaw by both wings and stuffed her into the hood of his hoodie before grabbing Opal by the scruff of her shirt and carried them both inside. He dropped Opal onto one of the chairs and Chainsaw onto the counter. Adam was already preparing peanut butter sandwiches with chicken noodle soup. Ronan snagged a slice of bread and tossed it to Chainsaw, watching her begin to claw at it.    
  
“Best make a third sandwich for Opal too,” Ronan said, collapsing into one of the chairs. 

Adam nodded and took out another two pieces of bread, smothering it in peanut butter. He tossed it onto the table for Opal and watched her begin to eat. Just as Adam turned to finish lunch, the door opened and Serena walked to the kitchen. She smiled when she saw Adam and Ronan. 

“Hey,” she said. 

“Hey, we figured that since you weren’t here that you went into town. Did you enjoy yourself?” Adam asked. 

“Oh, it was lovely. Henrietta is such a quaint little town. Historic yet modern,” she explained. 

“You can thank the millionaires that send their kids to Aglionby,” Ronan replied. “Always throwing their money around.” 

“Aglionby Academy?” Serena asked. 

She had only heard the place by name and had no idea what it actually was. 

“It’s the all boys school that’s located on the other side of town,” Ronan replied. “It’s this Pre-Ivy league school for sons of rich families. On occasion the school gets a scholarship student from a working class family.” 

“How do you know so much about it?” Serena lied. 

“Adam and I both went there. I know, I know,” Ronan said, raising his hands. “Hard to tell, with our dashing good looks and casual lifestyle, that either of us went to fancy school. But, it’s true. Adam graduated about eight years ago or something like that. And I dropped out.” 

Of course, Serena knew that Ronan had attended Aglionby Academy from the newspaper articles she had found. Still, she smiled and nodded her head, acting as casual as possible. 

“You don’t say,” Serena replied. “Why did you drop out, Ronan?” 

Ronan shrugged as he casually tilted his chair back. “The school just wasn’t for me,” he said. 

“The school  _ was  _ for you Ronan. You were just a smartass,” Adam said as he placed lunch on the table. 

Ronan chuckled. “And somehow oh so charming.” 

He winked at Adam and took a bite of his sandwich. Adam returned the smile and kissed the side of Ronan’s head before taking a seat. Serena smiled at the two of them. They looked, so much, like a normal family. It was hard to believe that Ronan’s family was holding such dark secrets. 


	9. Chapter 9

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Again, I am SO sorry this took longer than expected. I had several deadlines that were due during January that I had to meet so they took up much of my time. I truly appreciate the followers still sticking with this fic and hope that everyone is enjoying reading it.

A couple of days passed since beginning her investigation into the Lynch family. As Serena checked her email, she noticed something from City Hall Records. She figured that they sent her the information that she requested the day before. That was fast. She hurriedly clicked the link and found blueprints for the Barns, a Marriage License for Niall and Aurora and the death certificate for Niall Lynch. 

She opened the Marriage License first, hoping that it would give her some sort of clue as to who she could talk to about the Lynch family. Her eyes skimmed the page. The person who oversaw the wedding was someone by the name of Michael Graham. The two witnesses were Ivan Chernyshevsky, under Niall’s name, and Lilian Brown, under Aurora’s name. She jotted the names down. Whether these two people actually  _ knew  _ Niall and Aurora was probably a long shot, but it was worth a try. 

Serena then opened the Death Certificate. Everything seemed to be in order. The death had been recorded as July 4th, which coincided with the newspaper article. Additionally, the certificate recorded where he had died and what age he had been. And, from the look of things, Niall was only in his early 40s when he passed. Which meant that the Lynch brothers were all in their early teens when he passed away. How sad to lose a parent at such a young age. Her eyes skimmed to the bottom where she noted the registration number and the name of the doctor who oversaw his death. The doctor’s name was Peter Malroney. Again, she jotted the information down and shut her notebook, tucking it back into her purse for later. 

Just as she was about to open the blueprints a knock came at her door, making her jump. She quickly shut her email down and turned as the door opened. Adam stood smiling across from her. 

“Sorry, did I scare you?” he asked. 

“No, not at all. Everything’s fine Adam, what’s up?” she questioned. 

“Everything’s ready downstairs for our very late baby shower,” Adam replied. 

That’s right, Ronan and Adam had mentioned a while ago that they were going to plan a baby shower for Persephone. They had reminded her the day before that it was going to happen. Yet, somehow, she had completely forgotten until Adam had mentioned it just now. She managed a smile. 

“Excellent, just let me change and I’ll be right down Adam,” she said. 

Adam nodded and closed the door gently behind him. Serena listened as she heard his footsteps descend the stairs. She puffed out her cheeks and slouched in her chair. That was a bit too close for comfort. 

~~

Adam returned to the living room and stopped at the doorway, his eyes glancing at Ronan, who was slouching on the couch feeding Persephone in his arms. It seemed that both of them were content, so his eyes gazed upon the room. Adam insisted that the colours for the baby shower were non-gender specific. So, the room was filled with a rainbow of coloured balloons and streamers. Ronan practically gagged when he saw the decorations. They had set up a table along the wall that was filled with mini sliders, popcorn, a vegetable and fruit platter, a cake (that Ronan had dreamt up) and various drinks, both alcoholic and non-alcoholic. 

Though the guests wouldn’t be arriving for another few minutes, Adam was still nervous. He took a deep breath and let it out slowly, helping him stay grounded. Ronan walked over and smirked. 

“You okay there Parrish? Looks like you’re about to hurl,” he said. 

Adam looked to Ronan. “Just a bit nervous, Ronan,” he replied. 

“We got this Adam,” Ronan said with a smile and kissed the side of Adam’s head. 

Footsteps were heard on the stairs. Ronan and Adam turned to see Serena standing at the bottom of the stairs. She had changed into a simple turtleneck sweater and a pair of leggings. She smiled and approached the living room. 

“This looks fantastic!” she cried. “You two really outdid yourselves.” 

Serena brushed a hand playfully through some of the streamers before taking a seat on the couch. She looked down at Persephone quickly with her usual smile and gently stroked her cheek. 

“This all looks fantastic guys,” Serena said with a smile. 

“You don’t think the decorations are too much?” Adam asked.

“No way, the decorations are very festive,” she replied. 

“Are you kidding? It looks like a clown threw up in here,” Ronan commented. 

Adam frowned and glared angrily at Ronan, while Serena laughed. 

“Just keeping it real Parrish,” Ronan said.

Before Adam could even respond the doorbell rang. 

“Best get the doorbell, eh Parrish?” Ronan said with a sly smile. 

Adam rolled his eyes at Ronan’s comment. He didn’t even get the chance to sit down before the doorbell rang. He sighed and opened the door to find Declan and Jordan standing on the other side. Declan held a toddler, named Sean, in his arms, who had the typical Lynch family traits. Beside him, Jordan stood with a baby carrier. Inside was an infant girl, named Fedelia, who, unlike her brother, had much softer features. 

Adam smiled. “Hey you two, welcome,” he said.

Skillfully, Declan offered his hand to shake while still holding onto the toddler. “Thank you for having us, Adam,” he said, the two shaking hands. 

He stepped through and wandered towards the living room. Jordan paused and smiled at Adam. “Thank you for this, and congratulations, Adam,” she said, giving him a gentle hug before following Declan. 

Before Adam could even close the door, two more guests arrived. This time, Matthew and his girlfriend Sarah. The family had met Sarah several times before, during various holidays. Sarah was a beautiful, smart girl, who had an endless smile and boundless energy to match Matthew’s. Declan approved of her right away, thinking that she was the best match for his younger brother and helped him stay grounded. Ronan was the harder of the two older brothers. It had taken him several years to finally admit that she was part of the family. 

Matthew bounded up the stairs like a puppy, wrapping his arms around Adam before he could respond. Adam chuckled and wrapped a single arm around Matthew in return. 

“Thanks for having us over again, Adam,” he said cheerfully. 

“Any time, Matthew,” Adam replied. 

“Now, did I just see Declan enter?” he asked. 

“Yeah, he should be in the living room,” Adam said. 

“Come on, Sarah!” Matthew cried. 

“I’m coming!” Sarah laughed as she walked up the steps. 

Matthew didn’t wait. Instead, he hurried into the house and disappeared into the living room. Sarah stopped in front of Adam and gave him one of her big smiles. She opened her arms and wrapped them warmly around him. 

“Congratulations Adam! I am so happy for you!” she said. 

“Thank you, Sarah. Please, come in and take a seat,” he said and led her inside. 

Sarah smiled and tucked a strand of blonde hair behind her ear before entering. By the time Adam and Sarah arrived, the living room was already starting to get full. Declan and Jordan had taken the last two spots on the couch beside Serena. The carrier rested beside Jordan’s feet and Sean lay sprawled across the floor. Matthew had taken a seat on the floor with his nephew and was happily playing with him. To make room, Ronan had moved and taken a seat in one of the chairs with Persephone resting gently on his chest. Sarah walked across the room and took a seat next to Ronan to fuss over Persephone. Adam puffed out his cheeks. How were they going to get two more couples into the house? 

Ronan glanced at Adam and mouthed ‘Breathe, Parrish.’ Adam took a deep breath and let it out slowly. Everything would be fine. Another knock came at the door. He rushed to get it and found Blue and Gansey standing on the other side. Their infant, Morgan, was comfortably in a wrap around Blue’s torso. Gansey gave his winning smile to Adam and shook his hand.    
  
“Thanks for having us Adam,” he said. 

“Any…time,” Adam replied, watching Gansey slip past him. 

Adam sighed and felt his shoulders slouch. Gansey would always be Gansey, no matter what. He turned to Blue and motioned for her to step inside. She smiled and carefully hugged him, kissing his cheek. 

“We’re looking forward to celebrating this with you Adam. And we’re also looking forward to meeting your surrogate,” she said. 

Adam smiled. Somehow, Blue always knew what to say at just the right time, and it always made him feel better. He followed her inside and leaned on the doorframe of the living room. He watched Declan stand and offer his seat to Blue, who gratefully accepted. Almost everyone was here. They were just waiting for Henry, and his wife Marlissa, to arrive. And, as if on cue, a final knock came at the door. He opened the door once more and found Henry and Marlissa with their daughter, Heather, sleeping soundly in her stroller. 

“Hey, Adam...my man Adam, how’s it going? Congratulations!” Henry said, patting Adam on the back. “Thanks for having me and the fam over to celebrate.” 

“Of course, thank you for coming,” Adam replied. 

Henry acknowledged Adam with a set of pistol fingers and slipped past Adam. Marlissa smiled. Marlissa was a pretty, Chinese woman with a petite frame and a petite face. She had beautiful, dark brown eyes, a small nose and rose petal lips. Her long, black was tied up in a loose bun on top of her head. And she wore a large, baggy sweater and a pair of form fitting leggings. A pair of grey socks poked out from her leather boots. 

“Congratulations on the new member of your family, we’re so happy for you Adam. And we appreciate you welcoming us to your house,” Marlissa said, she reached up and kissed his cheek. 

“Thank you Marlissa,” he said. 

Marlissa stepped through and walked to the living room, followed closely by Adam. She found a seat next to Henry and took Heather out of her stroller. Now that everyone was at the Barns, Adam could relax just a bit. He scanned the room and smiled. His eyes finally met Ronan’s, who got to his feet and carefully walked over to Adam, Persephone in his arms. 

“Thank you all for coming to our, very late, Baby Shower,” Adam began. “It means a lot for us to have all our friends and family here to welcome our new member of our family, Persephone. And it also means a lot for us for everyone to meet the person who made it all possible, our surrogate, Serena,” Adam said, motioning to Serena, who was still sitting beside Matthew. 

Serena smiled. “It was my pleasure you two,” she said and blew a kiss towards Adam and Ronan. 

“There’s food, there’s drinks--alcoholic and non-alcoholic--and games, which were planned by Serena,” Ronan said. 

“So, please enjoy yourselves,” Adam added. 

The rest of the afternoon was spent in each other’s company. The group enjoyed the finger foods that were laid out for them, making small talk about what it was like raising children. Gansey and Declan certainly had the most entertaining baby stories, talking about how their sons managed to accomplish the pee arch while they were attempting to change them. 

As the afternoon went on, they moved from talking to playing the various games that were set up. They started with “Bobbing for Pacifiers.” Each of them attempting to nab a pacifier from a large tub of water. Declan refused to play, making up the excuse that he had to keep an eye on Sean. Everyone knew that the real reason was that he didn’t want to get his suit wet. 

The next game they played was a team game called “Don’t Drop the Egg (Baby).” They made their way outside and each team was assigned one egg and art supplies. They decorated the eggs to look like babies. Serena explained that one person from each team needed to carry their egg on a spoon through an obstacle course. The person who didn’t drop their egg would ultimately win. For shits and giggles, the men were the ones that raced. For Adam and Ronan, it was Ronan. When Serena blew the whistle, the men were off, making their way across the field. Ronan and Declan were the first to fail. Followed closely by Gansey and then Henry. The only couple with their egg intact was Matthew and Sarah. 

Matthew laughed. “It seems that Sarah and I are the better parents, and we don’t even have a kid!” he cried. 

“Shut up,” Ronan laughed, pushing his brother. 

“Don’t be jealous, pal,” Matthew replied, and stuck out his tongue. 

They returned inside for a final activity. Serena had bought each couple a onesie. With more art supplies, she challenged each couple to decorate their onesie for Adam, Ronan and Persephone. They soon got to work, spending a good deal of time decorating. When they were finished, they each fashioned their onesies. 

Ronan and Adam had drawn three stick figures on their onesie, one of them even had long curly hair, underneath they had written the names: Ronan, Adam, Persephone. In the background was an attempted drawing of the Barns. Blue and Gansey had gone all out. They had drawn a large tree with bright, emerald green leaves and had stuck a bunch of red, plastic gemstones on it to represent apples. On one of the branches was a little raven that Gansey had added for a personal touch. Henry and Marlissa had gone with something simple, but very pretty. Together they had carefully drawn a Chinese lotus in black, and traced the outlines with pink paint. They had then glued a green ribbon along the bottom to represent the stem. Matthew and Sarah’s was interesting, to say the least. The top half of the onesie had a coconut bikini top, around the neckline was a string of drawn flowers with sparkles, while the bottom had a grass skirt. Declan and Jordan definitely had an advantage, since Jordan was a professional artist. They had drawn two adult ravens, all in black, sitting in a nest. In the middle was a half open egg with a baby raven sitting in the centre. Jordan had added a nice touch by drawing leaves from a branch in the shape of a heart around the three birds. 

“Well, it’s clear who the winner is in this round,” Serena said with a smile. “Congratulations to Declan and Jordan.” 

“The benefits of being married to an artist,” Declan smirked, draping one arm over Jordan’s shoulders. 

“Shut your goddamn mouth,” Ronan replied. “Gloating doesn’t suit you.” 

“You’re just jealous that you didn’t win any of those games Serena set up,” Declan replied with a casual smile.

“I still have the better looking baby,” Ronan said snidely. 

“That’s because Adam is the better looking one of the two of you,” Declan retorted. “And Serena is an absolute beauty.” 

Ronan raised his middle finger in response. The room filled with laughter. As the laughter died down, Gansey got to his feet and held Morgan in his arms. 

“Blue and I better get going, we still have to make the long drive to my parents’ for the weekend,” he said. 

“Yeah, Jordan and I have the four hour drive back to DC to make,” Declan added. 

“Thank you all for coming, we really appreciate you helping us celebrate,” Adam said. 

The others nodded and eventually got to their feet. They collected their things and all headed for the door. Adam and Ronan followed close behind. The usual shaking of hands and hugging happened at the door as each couple left and made their way down the gravel driveway. Adam and Ronan watched in silence as they left. As the last car disappeared around the corner, Adam gave a sigh of relief before returning into the house. 

The living room was still a mess from the afternoon’s festivities. Paint and markers were left on various side tables and chairs and there were empty cups and plates were strewn all over the room. It didn’t take long for Chainsaw and Opal to find the leftover food and snack on it. Adam placed his hand on his face and groaned and Ronan entered the room. Ronan growled and sent Opal and Chainsaw on their way. 

“You can chow down later!” he snapped. 

Opal scampered down the hall and up the stairs, no doubt, to Adam and Ronan’s room. Chainsaw snapped her beak once at Ronan’s fingers and flew off before he could threaten her. 

Serena walked in and smiled at Adam. “How about Ronan and I clean up and you take a short rest Adam. We can then order in for dinner,” she suggested. “You did a lot today.” 

Adam nodded tiredly. “Thanks, Serena.” 

He yawned and shuffled upstairs for a quick nap before dinner. As he passed the guest room, he swore that he heard something slither through the room. He paused and listened carefully. Again, the slithering sound came from the bedroom. Curious, he opened the door and peered inside, but it seemed that everything was in order. He shook his head, figuring that he was just tired from the long afternoon. He shuffled to the master bedroom and collapsed onto the bed. 

~~

Serena stepped into her bedroom after dinner. Ronan and Adam were still downstairs having some family time with Persephone, so she figured that now would be the best time to continue her research about the Lynch family. She closed her eyes and mentally reviewed what she was supposed to do. Right, she was going to look over the blueprints to the farm. 

She opened her email and downloaded the blueprints. The blueprints seemed fairly standard. On one side, there were large, fenced areas meant for their cattle, sheep, pigs, goats and chickens. On the other side of the farm, were large buildings where the family kept their grains, farming equipment and food for the animals. At the back of the farm there were large open areas meant for their crops like corn, wheat and their fruits and vegetables. Then, at the front of the property, was the main house. She pursed her lips.    
  
“If you were a simple farmer, Niall Lynch, how did you earn all that money?” she muttered. 

As her eyes grazed over the plans Serena’s eyes landed on an unmarked building. There was no indication on what was meant for the building. It was just...there. The building was not too far from the main house. So Serena figured that was where she had found those strange vines. 

“What are you hiding, Lynch family?” she asked herself. 

She made a note beside her list of names to investigate Niall’s business. There had to be some sort of record somewhere. And she had every intention of finding out what.   



	10. Chapter 10

The next day was a Friday. Serena would be leaving by Sunday afternoon, so she had very little time to finish her investigation and potentially rescue Persephone from a dangerous family. 

She awoke to the sensation of something wrapping around her ankle. She jolted awake and stared down at her legs, only to find that black vines had wrapped around her ankle. Serena gasped and struggled before falling to the floor, the blankets falling around her. Without hesitating, she reached across and pulled the vines away from her legs. They ripped away from her body easily. The parts of the plant in her hands withered and died in her hands, while the living vine slunk away. She stared at the blood trickling down her hands and ankles. That certainly was one way to wake up in the morning. 

Her eyes gazed upwards to see the rest of the vines slink back into her closet. By now, the entire closet was full of the black vines, to the point where she could no longer see the inside. This was not good. Not only did she have to figure out what was going on with the Lynch family, but she also needed to figure out how to deal with the black vines. For now, though, she needed to interview her leads about Niall Lynch, the farm and his mysterious business. She shut the door and threaded one of her scarves through the handles and pressed her bag against the door. Hopefully that would work to contain the vines for a while. 

Serena sighed and rested her head on the closest door momentarily. She took a deep breath before getting ready for the day. When she made it downstairs Ronan and Adam were already in the kitchen. Ronan was busy making breakfast while Adam sat with Persephone and a bottle. She took a seat and smiled. 

“You okay, Serena?” Adam asked. 

“Of course, why wouldn’t I be?” she asked. 

“You look a bit tired and we also heard a crash come from your room,” Adam replied. 

“Oh, I just woke up from a really bad dream that’s all. But nothing that a little bit of coffee won’t fix,” she said with a smile. “Now  _ you two  _ must be tired with Persephone.” 

“It’s fine, I don’t sleep much anyways,” Ronan said before Adam could respond. 

Ronan placed a steamy cup of coffee in front of Serena before returning to breakfast. She nodded a thank you and prepared it with sugar and cream. She took that first satisfying sip of coffee and sighed. Minutes later, Ronan placed three plates of eggs, toast and sausage on the table before taking a seat. Ronan watched as Adam struggled to handle Persephone and eat breakfast simultaneously. So, he leaned forward and cut what he could for Adam before tucking into his own breakfast. Serena smiled at the scene. It was hard to believe that Ronan and his family were potentially sketchy. 

Adam took a sip of his coffee before looking at Serena. “So, what are you up too today?” he asked casually. 

“Oh, I have a couple things I have to do for work that involves some research. They want to start planning an Earth Day clean up and picnic. So, I have to start looking up some stuff that involves Earth Day. All rather boring research,” she explained. 

“Can’t you do your research here?” Ronan asked. 

“I could but I always work best when I’m not in a house,” she replied. “I did find some cozy places to do work in town, so I’ll go there.”

“Sounds good,” Adam replied before Ronan could ask any more questions. “Ronan and I may be going to a program at the library for families and babies. So, if you don’t see us this afternoon, that’s where we’ll be.” 

“Alright,” Serena said. “Please enjoy.” 

~~

With breakfast done, Serena grabbed her purse and laptop before heading out the door. Ronan and Adam watched her leave and waved to her from the window. When the car had disappeared down the driveway, Adam turned to Ronan. 

“Let’s make this search quick, okay?” Adam said. 

“Fine,” Ronan replied. 

The two made their way upstairs. Adam placed Persephone back into her crib before joining Ronan outside of the guest room. He glanced worriedly at Ronan. 

“Before we head in, tell me exactly what you heard,” Ronan said. 

“As I passed the room yesterday, I heard a strange slithering sound come from the other side of the door. But when I opened it, nothing was there,” Adam explained. 

Ronan crossed his arms. “Could’ve just been a squirrel or a raccoon in the roof,” he said. 

“This was no rodent,” Adam persisted. 

“Alright, alright, it’s not a rodent,” Ronan replied. He stared at the door and puffed out his cheeks. “Well, we better find out what’s on the other side of this door.” 

Ronan placed his hand on the door and pushed it open. At first, nothing seemed to be out of place. Ronan started to question again whether it was a rodent or not. Then his eyes glanced at the closet. A scarf had been wrapped around the handles and the chair to the desk was now resting against it. He had been around long enough to know that something was up. 

“Stay here,” he instructed. 

Ronan crossed the room, pushing the chair aside and slipping the scarf out of the handles. With a pounding heart he threw open the closest doors only to find it empty. On the floor was a small leaf. He picked it up and carefully inspected it. It was the same leaf from the black vines he had dreamt up earlier. Panicked, he pushed aside the clothing to find a large hole in the back of the closest, traces of vines leading down to the floor. He knelt and found a hole in the floorboards.  _ Persephone _ ! 

Ronan jumped to his feet and ran out to the hall. “We have to check the nursery….NOW!” he cried. 

Adam followed Ronan down the hall. The two men burst into the room, Ronan’s eyes scanning desperately around. He found no sign of the black vines in the bedroom. But that didn’t mean that it wasn’t in the house somewhere. He picked up Persephone and rushed back out into the hall. 

“What’s going on Ronan?” Adam asked, joining Ronan in the hall. 

“It’s Serena,” Ronan began. “She somehow found out about the black vines that I had pulled from my dreams and contained it in her room. It’s managed to escape and is now loose in the house.” 

Ronan made his way to the bedroom.

“But...how?” Adam asked. 

“She must have gone snooping when we were out with Persephone,” he growled. 

This was why Ronan didn’t trust anyone outside of his family and close friends. Let anyone in and they just use you. That’s how his father had died: by trusting the wrong people, who ultimately betrayed that trust. He wasn’t going to go the same way. 

“What should we do?” Adam asked. 

“You and Perspehone should head out of town for a bit, I’ll handle Serena,” Ronan said. 

“By yourself?” Adam questioned. 

Ronan turned and looked seriously at Adam. Adam skidded to a stop. “Yes, by myself,” he said firmly. “If something happened to you or Persephone I…” He paused and closed his eyes sadly. “I don’t know what I would do with myself. You two are the most important people in my life.” 

“Ronan…” Adam paused and pressed his forehead against Ronan’s. He knew that Ronan would do absolutely anything for him and Persephone. That didn’t mean he should handle everything on his own, but Adam knew that once he made up his mind, there was no convincing him to change it. “I’ll drop Persephone off with Maura and Calla tonight and come back to help you, agreed?” 

Ronan sighed. “Fine, agreed.” 

The two rushed into the master bedroom, where Adam stayed with Persephone, while Ronan rushed back into the nursery to pack a bag for her. 

~~

Serena had settled herself back at the library with her laptop and her list of names. As she searched each one, she learned that Ivan Chernyshevsky had moved back to Russia years ago and Lilian Brown had died of cancer last year. Michael Graham and Peter Malroney, however, were still living in Henrietta, and knowing a small town like this one, they probably heard something about what Niall Lynch was up to. 

It seemed that Michael Graham still worked at the local Catholic Church. And, according to the local directory, it was just a couple blocks away from the library. With haste, Serena rushed down the street. The Church was easy to spot, especially in a town like Henrietta. The tall, stone spires stood higher than any of the other buildings. She paused momentarily at the base of the stairs and looked up, taking a deep breath before entering. 

The Church was silent. There were a few people sitting in the pews, their heads bent in silent prayer. Serena felt kind of guilty for bothering a man of the Church, but she knew that she needed to get answers for her questions. Quietly, she wandered through the aisles of the Church, somewhat confused. She was soon approached by an elderly gentleman, wearing the standard black robe of a priest. She paused. 

“Are...you Father Graham?” she whispered. 

“I am, how may I help you today?” he asked with a pleasant smile. 

“Ummm…” How could Serena put this? She puffed out her cheeks. “Do you know Ronan Lynch?” she asked. 

“Of course I do. Ronan and his brothers have been attending this Church since they were very small,” Michael explained. “Is there something wrong with one of the Lynch brothers?” 

“Well, kind of. You see, I’m the surrogate mother for Ronan’s baby and there are some things that I would like to know about him and his family before I go,” she said. 

Michael looked at Serena. “Normally, I do not discuss personal matters of people from my congregation, but I can see what I can do. Please follow me,” he said. 

He motioned for her to follow. The two silently made their way to the back offices of the Church. They entered a small one directly off the hallway and took a seat in uncomfortable chairs. Michael placed his hands on his desk, weaving his fingers together. 

“So, how can I answer your questions about the Lynch family?” he asked. 

“Well, how long have the Lynches been in Henrietta?” Serena asked. Starting basic was the best. 

“Well, Niall was the first one to move to Henrietta. And that was over 30 years ago, if I remember correctly. He was just a young, Irish boy from Belfast. He met Aurora a few years later and they started their family,” Graham explained. 

Serena nodded. That’s what the news article said as well, so that was nothing new. She needed to prod a bit deeper now. 

“And what exactly did he do? I mean, from what I’ve been hearing around town he was a self-made millionaire,” she said. 

“As far as I know, he sold farming equipment, while Aurora sold the goods they had on their farm,” he replied. 

“But how could he have made so much just by selling farming equipment and farming goods?” Serena persisted. 

“From what he told me, Niall had a lot of foreign investors,” Michael explained. “Apart from that I don’t know anything else. I’m so sorry I couldn’t be any more help.” 

“Thank you sir,” Serena replied. 

The two got to their feet and made their way back through the Church. By now everyone had gone and the building was empty. Michael walked Serena to the door and shook her hand. 

“It was a pleasure to meet you Serena, God bless,” he said. 

“You too,” she replied. 

Serena made her way down the steps with a frown. Talking with the local priest had only given her the information that she already knew. Maybe the doctor knew a bit more about Niall Lynch and his strange doings. 

~~

Serena drove back to the Barns grumpy. It seemed that Peter Malroney didn’t even remember Niall Lynch or his family. Claiming that because he saw so many bodies, it was hard to remember one from over ten years ago. So, her research had proven to be fruitless. And now she was angry. 

She slipped out of the car and shuffled to the house in silent anger. She opened the door. 

“Man, do I need a drink,” she said and dropped her purse on one of the chairs and opened the fridge. =

“Why don’t we both have a drink?” a voice asked behind her. 

Serena turned sharply. “Ronan, you scared me. I thought you were out with Adam and Persephone.” 

“Change of plans. Adam decided to drop Persephone off with our friend Maura for some girl time. I think the three of us need to talk,” Ronan said cooly. “Please, take a seat.” 


End file.
